Judith and the Spy of Stellovet
by The Queen of Valencia Torgue
Summary: The sequel to Gregor and the Plans of Stellovet. A new generation has arrived, but Stellovet is as ruthless as ever. Can Gregor and Luxa's daughter Judith and her siblings stop the menace? Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello to the people reading this! Okay, this is a sequal to my story Gregor and the Plans of Stellovet, so if you havn't read that, this is not going to make much sense. I do not own the Underland Chronicles, although I do own any characters you don't recognise. And now, with no further ado, I present Judith and the Spy of Stellovet.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Rylan jolted awake. He lay there for a moment, wondering what it was that had awakened him. A second later he had his answer.

"Rylan?" the voice was a girl's, soft but insistent. It sounded like…

Rylan sat up. "Chim?"

Chim nodded, her face illuminated by the small fish-oil lamp she held. "Yes, it is I. My sister wants to see you in the throne room."

Rylan yawned. "What does Aunt Stellovet want now?"

Chim hesitated. "I do not know, but it sounded urgent."

"Urgent? Alright. Tell my aunt that I am on my way." Rylan got out of bed and started pulling clothes out of his dresser.

Chim half smiled. "Hurry. Stellovet is not in a good mood." She set the lamp down on the dresser, and then exited the room.

"Great." Muttered Rylan. His aunt in a bad mood was not something you would want to see. He quickly changed into his day clothes, and then strapped his sword-belt on. He exited the room, taking the lamp with him, and started down the hall.

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><p>Queen Stellovet sat in the throne room, waiting for her nephew to arrive. Her husband, King Chase, sat beside her. He was half-asleep, and she had to keep poking him to make sure he did not start snoring.<p>

Stellovet sighed impatiently. "What is taking him so long? Chim, I thought you said he was on his way."

Chim stepped forward, looking nervous. "He is, Stelly. I—"

Stellovet's eyes flashed. "How many times do I have to tell you, Chim? Do not call me by that ridiculous pet name! You shall address me as 'your highness. Am I clear?"

Chim was shaking, either from anger or fear. "Y-yes, your highness."

"Excellent." Stellovet slumped back on her throne. "Where is that boy? He should have been here by—" Her complaint was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Oh, good." She said, and then called: "Enter."

The door opened and a young man about fourteen years of age stepped in. He sank into a low bow, suitable for entering the presence of the Queen and King, than straightened and smiled. "You sent for me, your highness?"

Stellovet smiled. "Yes Rylan. And please, how many times do I have to tell you? You are to address me as aunty, not your highness. We are on better terms than that, I think."

Chim let out a snort of indignation.

Stellovet looked at her. "Did you have something to say, sister?"

Chim shook her head. "Nothing, _your highness_."

Stellovet smiled. "Good. Now Rylan, I am sure you are wondering why I have summoned you so early in the morning, am I right?"

Rylan shrugged. "I must confess that the thought has crossed my mind, yes. Not that I mind getting up early," he added hastily.

Stellovet laughed. "Oh, you are amusing!" She turned to her husband, who was gently snoring. "Is he not, my dear?"

Chase started. "What? Oh. Yes." He yawned. "Good morning, Rylan. What are you doing here?"

Stellovet rolled her eyes. "I summoned him. Anyway, Rylan, I believe it is time that you proved yourself. After all, we can not have a weakling on the throne, can we?"

Rylan blinked. "On the throne?"

Stellovet smiled. "Yes. As you know, sadly, I have not been able to produce an heir, and probably never will. I would like to name you heir to the throne instead, but first, you need to prove yourself worthy."

Rylan was speechless. At last he said: "Very well. What would you have me do?"

Before Stellovet could reply, Chase interjected. "Wait! Whatever it is, it must not be too dangerous. I promised my sister I would protect Rylan, and I intend to keep that oath."

Stellovet rubbed her forehead. "Chase, do you think I would knowingly put the boy in danger?" Before Chase could reply, she plowed on. "Of course not. Now Rylan, I would like you to be my spy."

"Your spy?" Rylan was intrigued.

"Yes. I am sure you have heard about the rebel group?" Stellovet asked.

"Has not everyone? They are said to be in the jungle."

"Correct. I want you to join them. Pretend to be sympathetic to their cause. All the time though, you shall be reporting back to me on their numbers, their leaders, and their plans. By doing this successfully, you shall prove yourself worthy of the throne. Do you accept the mission?"

Rylan nodded. "I do."

"Excellent." Stellovet smiled. "You shall leave tomorrow. Go get some rest. You will need it."

And on that ominous note, Rylan bowed, and then exited the room.

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><p><strong>Not that much of a cliff-hanger, and for that I apoligize. A special thanks to my Beta authorEmilyRay who graciously accepted the offer to continue working on this set of stories, and to QueenCobraWing, who coined the nick-name Stelly. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up, (Summer school :P) but keep an eye out for it. Reviews are greatly appreciated!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello to the three people who actually care about this story! Here is chapter 2. It took me a very long time, yes, but hopefully it will be worth it. Oh, and a brief re-cap: Stellovet has four siblings, Howard, Hero, Kent, and Chim. Hero and Kent are twins, Howard is the oldest, and Chim is the baby. Read on!**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Judith jolted awake. For a moment she did not know what had awakened her. Then she heard a voice.

"Judy?" The voice sounded scared. "Are you awake?"

Judith sat up. "Henry? What are you doing in here?" Using her echolocation she saw her younger brother standing next to her bed.

"I had a nightmare. Mom and Dad are gone and Truce threw his pillow at me when I tried to wake him up so I came and got you."

Judith yawned. "What about Hero?" Her younger sister was much better at dealing with this kind of thing.

"Hero is out on junior patrol." Henry sounded like he was about to cry.

Judith sighed. "What was your nightmare about?"

Henry hesitated. "Well, we were in the fire lands. The twins were there, and so were you. We were running from something, and all of a sudden the ground gave way. We were falling. Someone was screaming. Then we hit bottom and I woke up." He was trembling. "Oh Judy, it was awful!" Henry started to cry.

"There, there." Judith leaned over and gave him a hug. "It's all right. It was just a dream." Her words seemed to lack the right comfort though, and her brother kept crying.

Judith sighed again and started rubbing his back, trying to soothe him. She knew how bad the falling dreams were. All four of the siblings did. For some reason, they all had them a lot. She and the twins were old enough to handle it by themselves, but Henry still needed exterior comfort.

Finally, Henry started to calm down. "Judy? Will you tell me a story?" He asked.

"Sure. What would you like to hear about?" Judith was relieved. She was good at story telling.

"Tell me about how the twins got their names."

Judith's face fell. "Are you sure? That's kind of a sad one."

"I'm sure." Henry sounded tired.

"Well…okay. Do you remember Mom's Cousin Kent?"

"A little. He died, right?"

"Yes. You were four." Judith's voice cracked. This was a very sad story. "Anyway, Kent had a twin sister named Hero. They loved each other very much and did everything together. But there was a wicked Queen named Stellovet who tried to make them do something that they didn't want to do, so they decided to escape."

"And come to the jungle?" Henry sounded like he was half asleep.

Judith lowered her voice to a whisper. "That's right. They decided to come to the jungle. But the Queen found out about their plan and sent some soldiers to kill them. Hero and Kent fought back, but there were too many soldiers. Hero was killed. Kent barely managed to get away."

"Wound…leg…" Henry's words could barely be heard.

"Yes, Kent was wounded in the leg. He managed to make it to the jungle though. Now, right about that time, Mom and Dad got in a huge argument. Mom wouldn't speak to Dad and Dad was staying over at Aunt Lizzie's and Uncle Hazard's cave. It was a mess, especially since mom was about to have the twins. I was just three or four. Their fight had lasted about a week when Kent showed up. It was so sad… he was crying so hard. Kent told Mom about how the Queen had killed his sister, and Mom went into shock. That part was scary. Then, the next day the twins were born. Mom and Dad decided that their fight had gone on long enough, and declared a truce. That's how Truce got his name. They also decided to honor Kent's sister and named Hero after her. And that's how the twins got their names."

Judith took a long shaky breath. This story was a hard one for her. She had been small when it had happened, but she could remember it as plain as ever. It had been the first time that the threat of the evil Queen Stellovet had actually seemed real.

Judith didn't know a whole lot about the Queen. Just that she was terrible. She had tried to kill Judith's parents; she had killed Kent's sister, and had driven many people into hiding. Judith shuddered. She hoped she never had to meet the Queen.

A small snore brought her out of her reverie. Henry was asleep. Gingerly Judith picked him up and carried him out of her room, down the hall, and to the room he shared with Truce. Gently she laid Henry in his bed and pulled the blankets over him. She lightly planted a kiss on his forehead and turned to leave. She was halfway to the door when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Nice job."

Judith spun around to see her younger brother Truce sitting up in bed. She relaxed.

"Thank you. Go back to sleep."

"Is Hero home yet?" He tried to sound casual but she could hear the worry in his voice.

Judith shook her head. "No, she's still out on junior patrol."

Truce sighed. "And Mom and Dad? Are they still at the meeting?"

"I think so. Should I send them in to see you when they get home?"

Truce lay back down. "Yes, that would be good. Good night, Judith." He closed his eyes.

"Good night." Judith whispered. She turned and left the room.

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><p><strong>If this didn't make a whole lot of sense, try re-reading it. I bet you all know who Judith's parents are, so I'll ask a different question. Who is the most evil, Voldemort, Kronos, the Bane, or Stelly? Please review and answer! -Queen<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Um... Oh, dear... What is the name of this story again? Just kidding! Here's chapter 3. Read and review. You know the drill.**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Rylan was tired. Despite his best efforts, he had not been able to get much rest the day before. Now it was time to leave. He had everything he needed; his sword, a few water skins, some dried fish. Not much. Hopefully he would find the camp quickly.

Rylan felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find the Queen standing behind him.

"Oh, hello Aunty. Come to see me off?" He tried to sound lighthearted, but a note of worry managed to creep into his voice.

Stellovet smiled reassuringly. "Relax, dear. You will do fine. You know the plan, right?"

Rylan took a deep breath. "Artemis will fly me to the jungle and leave me at a pre-arranged rendezvous point. I will find the rebel camp and convince them to take me in. Once a week I will meet Artemis at the drop-off and give her my report."

Stellovet nodded. "Very good. But you are forgetting one small detail."

Rylan frowned. "I am?"

"Yes." Stellovet's expression was stony. "You must not get caught."

Rylan nodded. "I will do my best not to."

"Good." Stellovet abruptly turned and walked away.

As Rylan watched her go, a chill ran down his spine. Stellovet the Ruthless. That was what some people called her. Rylan was beginning to see why.

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><p>Judith was woken the next morning by shouting. She groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. A few seconds later, the bedroom door opened and then slammed shut again.<p>

"Good morning!" said a voice that sounded way too happy.

Judith knew that pretending to be asleep was pointless, so she sat up, yawned, stretched, and then said: "Good morning, Hero. How was patrol?"

"Oh, it was so exciting! We had a practice encounter drill and I 'killed' three soldiers!" Hero was practically jumping up and down.

Judith frowned. "Don't let Dad catch you being so excited about that. You know how he feels about kids having to fight."

Hero rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. But I'm ten years old. I'm not that little."

"Try telling that to Dad." Judith got out of bed and walked over to her dresser.

Hero sat down on her bed and sighed. "I already did. It did not go over very well."

"Is that what all the shouting is about?" Judith asked. She could still hear it even though the door was shut.

Hero shrugged. "Partly. But Mom and Dad are both just plain grumpy today. I don't think the meeting last night went very well. That and the fact that Dad forgot that today is Mom's 34th birthday."

"What? It is?" Judith whirled around and stared at her little sister.

"Yeah. It is. You forgot too?" Hero had a smug look on her face.

"Oh, man. I don't have a gift for her! What should I do?" Judith was panicking.

"Calm down!" Hero looked a little alarmed. "I'll help you think of something. Maybe you can gather berries for a special treat or something."

"Berries?" Judith was skeptical.

"Yeah! Mom loves berries. Especially those green ones that Dad says remind him of a kind of berry that they have in the overland."

Judith smiled. "I guess you're right. And, like aunt Lizzie says, it's the thought that counts. Okay, berries it is. Thanks, Hero."

"No problem." Hero lay down. "I think I am going to try to take a nap. Wake me up later."

"Fine. Good…Day? Good day, Hero." Judith left the room and ran smack-dab into her mother. "Oomph!"

"Whoa!" said her mom. "Are you okay?"

"Just fine. Happy birthday."

"Thank you. Is Hero alright? I was just about to check on her." Her mother looked anxious.

"Hero's fine, Mom. She's trying to take a nap right now."

"Good." She looked a little tired. "I hope—"

"Luxa! Where are you?" someone called.

Judith's Mom turned. "Right here! Hang on, I am coming." She started down the hall.

Judith followed. They came out into the main cavern, which was lit by torches that hung on the walls. The torches weren't exactly necessary, seeing how almost all of them could echolocate, but they had them anyway.

"Luxa! Happy Birthday!" A small woman with a swollen belly stood in the middle of the room, holding the hand of a little boy.

Judith's mom half-smiled. "Thank you Lizzie. Good morning Hamnet.

The little boy smiled shyly. "Happy birthday, Aunty Luxa."

Lizzie smiled. "I brought you a present. Would you like to open it now?"

Luxa shrugged. "If you insist."

The two women went over to the table and sat down. Lizzie handed Luxa a small package wrapped in cloth.

Luxa carefully unwrapped the package to reveal a small stone rectangular box with an 'L' carved onto the top.

"Oh, thank you! I love it!" Luxa leaned over and gave Lizzie a hug.

"Hey! What about my present?" The little boy said indignantly.

Luxa smiled. "You did not have to bring me a gift, Hamnet."

"It's your birthday." he insisted. Hamnet handed her a long, thin package and watched impatiently as she opened it.

When Judith saw what it was, she had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. It was a stick.

"Oh, thank you so much, Hamnet! It is a beautiful stick." Luxa looked as if she was trying not to laugh as well.

Hamnet beamed.

Lizzie looked amused and apologetic at the same time. "He found it the other day and insisted that he give it to you for your birthday."

Judith stopped laughing. Oh, man. Was she the only one who hadn't remembered her Mom's birthday?

As if to prove her point, just then Truce walked in, still in his nightclothes. "Happy Birthday Mom!" he walked over and gave Luxa a great big hug.

"Thank you, dear." Luxa smiled at him.

Judith glared at Truce. Then she turned around and headed for the door that led outside, grabbing her sword off of its hook on the wall as she went. "I'll be back soon!" she called.

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><p><strong>Well, that's it. Chapter 4 will most definetly be up sooner then this one was, maybe in a few days or so. Alright, here's another question. What's your favorite book series? Please review! Oh, and if you like Percy Jackson, check out my new story, Percy and the Marks of the Big Three. I've also posted a PJOGTO crossover, Beneath New York. -Queen**


	4. Chapter 4

**And here, in the west wing, we have the forth chapter of Judith and the Spy of Stellovet. Seriously. No joke.**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

As Rylan flew over the jungle, he went over the plan again in his head. It was simple; most of Stellovet's plans were, yet deadly. According to her, the best kind. Rylan wasn't so sure.

"Nervous?" asked his bond, Artemis. "You are unusually quiet."

Rylan sighed. "A little bit. I do not love the plan."

"Neither do I." admitted the bat. "I know you can take care of yourself, but I still do not like the idea of you being in the jungle alone."

Rylan smiled and leaned forward to hug his bond. "Thank you, Artemis."

"Whatever for?" She sounded surprised.

"For caring about what happens to me."

They both were silent for a minute, enjoying the bond between them.

Rylan broke the silence. "Oh, great."

"What is it?" asked Artemis.

"I forgot to tell Kent and Lyson that I was leaving. Will you?"

"Of course." The flier said reassuringly.

"Thank you." Rylan thought of his friends, and how disappointed they would be when they heard he was gone. Rylan wished they were here with him.

Both Kent and Lyson were good at healing, partly because their dad Howard was the head of the Regalian hospital. The siblings were also excellent swordsmen, the best in their respective levels. Yes, having them here would have been a good idea.

"Rylan, we are almost there," Artemis purred. "Are you ready?"

Rylan took a deep breath. "As ready as I will ever be."

They began the descent towards the jungle.

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><p>Judith did not like berry picking. She didn't like how time-consuming it was, or how dangerous. If you were going berry picking, you had to drop by the main cave to pick up a special pair of gloves and a tightly woven basket, then actually find the berries and pick them, and finally, bring them back to the main cave for one of the gnawers on duty to check. Many of the berries in the jungle were poisonous, and humans were not very good at telling them apart.<p>

As she made her way along one of the paths that led to the main cave, Judith sighed. She loved her mom, but was it worth the effort to pick berries for her?

She arrived at the main cave a few minutes later. It was one of the biggest caverns in the jungle, and it acted as headquarters for the whole group of rebels; humans, nibblers, fliers, and gnawers alike. It was always buzzing with activity and chances were there would always be someone that you knew there.

Sure enough, as soon as she walked in, someone called her name.

"Judith!" Her best friend Myrenda waved her over.

Judith smiled, and walked to where her friend was standing. "Hey, Myrenda. What are you doing here?"

Myrenda shrugged. "I am dropping off my Mother's report. She was in charge of the junior patrol last night."

"I see. My sister was in that group. How's your little brother?"

Myrenda bit her lip, a nervous habit of hers. "Not very good. The fever is less, but his breathing is still labored."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Judith said.

"Yes, well… I will see you later. Goodbye Judith." Myrenda turned and walked away.

"Bye…" Judith headed over to the berry picking station, which was run by the oldest woman she had ever seen. She approached the station nervously. "Um, excuse me?"

The old woman looked up. "Yes, dear?"

"I'd like a berry picking set please."

"Humph." The old woman looked grumpy. "Berry picking. I used to outfit the army, you know. I was the armory specialist. Now look at me. You are too old, says they, too old to work with the weapons. Berry picking. That is what they say. Good work. Not hard. But I miss weapons. What is your name?" she asked suddenly.

Judith took an involuntary step back. "J-Judith, ma'am."

The old woman looked surprised. Then she relaxed. "Ah, yes. Yes. I see."

"See what?" Judith was starting to reconsider berry-picking.

"You look just like him," croaked the old woman. "Except for the hair. That is your mother's."

It was Judith's turn to be surprised. "You know my parents?"

"Who does not?" The old woman handed Judith a berry picking kit. "But I have known them maybe the longest. Please tell them that Miravet sends her greetings."

Judith was backing away from the station. "I will do that. Thank you." She turned and rushed away.

Miravet watched her go. "So much like her father," she muttered.

Judith hurried away from the berry picking station as fast as she could. The old woman had frightened her, although she couldn't tell why. She didn't like this feeling of fear. She was Judith, daughter of two of the main leaders of the rebels, and best swordswoman of her age in the whole rebel group. She was supposed to be hard-core, not frightened by old ladies! She was so preoccupied with these bothersome thoughts that she didn't bother to look where she was going, and next thing she knew, she had crashed into someone.

"Judith!" the voice sounded surprised.

Uh-oh. she thought.

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><p><strong>Gasp! Who could it be? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! BTW, would any of you be interested in hearing about what was happening to Boots in the 20 years since her siblings dissapeared? I would start it after I finish this story. Well, this wraps up our tour. Gift shop is to your left. Review. -Queen<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, here is chapter 5. Read and pleeeeeease review. QueenCobraWing, thank you. I do not own GTO.**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Rylan screwed his eyes shut. For the first time in his life, he was completely and utterly alone. He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. He could see, but barely. He couldn't exactly tell where the light came from, but it wasn't very strong. Just then, he heard something. Running water. He started walking toward the sound.

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><p>Judith screwed her eyes shut. She knew that voice.<p>

"Are you okay?"

She felt a strong hand grasp her arm and gently but firmly pull her to her feet.

Judith took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Her father, Gregor the Warrior, was looking at her with a concerned expression. She pulled her arm away and brushed herself off. "I'm fine, Dad, really."

"Are you sure?"

For some reason, his tone annoyed Judith. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I don't need help."

Gregor held up his hands in a 'calm-down' sort of gesture. "Just checking." He frowned. "Hang on, why are you here, anyway?"

"I was getting a berry picking set," she said stiffly.

Gregor relaxed a little. "Oh. Alright. Be careful." He turned abruptly, and walked away.

Judith picked up her basket and stormed out of the main cavern. Why did her dad have to be so… so… frustrating? Deep down she knew that he was just trying to protect her, but he could be nicer about it.

Gregor had always been overprotective for as long as Judith could remember. As a result, she was almost always last to do everything.

One time when she had been six, the other kids her age had all started practicing their sword-fighting, using dried out vines for weapons. Judith had been good at it, the best of her age. She had gone home excited, and already asking when she could go practice again. But when Gregor had found out, he had gone nuts. A shouting match had taken place between her parents, and at last she had been allowed to continue her lessons, but only under close supervision. Judith had the suspicion that if not for her mother, she would never be allowed a weapon at all.

Judith sighed. Her parents were complicated. She made her way towards the riverbank where the best berries were found, pulling out her sword as she went. Twisters liked to hide in berry bushes. She pulled on the thick gloves, and cautiously started pushing branches aside. All of a sudden, she heard a splash. Whipping around, she used her echolocation to scan the riverbank.

There. On the other side of the river was a boy. Judith held very still, hoping not to be seen.

The boy looked around, his gaze passing right over her. He obviously couldn't echolocate, as he gave no sign of having seen her. He looked tired. Wearily, the boy dropped to his knees, and pulled out a water skin to refill it in the river.

Judith was silently panicking. She had never seen this boy before; he wasn't part of the rebel group. That made him an outsider, and not all outsiders were friendly. He could have been sent by Stellovet to spy on them, the Queen had tried that before. But on the other hand, he could be fleeing from the Queen's oppression. So what should she do? Approach him, or leave him to the jungle and go back to headquarters and report him?

Judith was not even close to making the decision when all of a sudden, it was made for her. A large twister had dropped down from a branch hanging above the boy, and was seconds away from biting the back of his neck.

"Watch out!" Judith hollered.

The boy looked up just in time to see a sword flying end over end towards him. "Agh!" he yelled, and fell to his belly.

The sword sliced the head off the twister, spraying blood everywhere.

On the other side of the river, Judith was cursing herself and her weird instincts. But it was too late now. She had to retrieve her sword, and to do that, she had to meet the boy. She took a deep breath and waded across the river towards him.

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><p><strong>Sorry that's it's soo short, but I had to have that cliffhanger. Well, my mind is out of words. Oh, but here's a question! Do you ever talk to yourself aloud in public places? Review and answer!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Good morning! Here is chapter 6, I hope you like it.**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Rylan's heart was pounding as he lay facedown on the jungle floor. Someone had just thrown a sword at him. What kind of place was this? He heard a splashing sound coming towards him. Uh-oh. Quickly and none too gracefully, he scrambled to his feet.

A shadowy figure was wading across the river towards him.

Rylan pulled out his sword and tried to stop his hands from shaking. "Who is there?" he called, managing to stop his voice from quivering.

"Me."

The voice was feminine, something that threw Rylan for a second. Besides talking to Chim, he didn't have much experience with girls.

"Put your sword down," the voice commanded. "And state your business."

Rylan was about to do as the woman said, but then remembered that he was in enemy territory. "No. Who are you?"

The woman had exited the river, and was now moving behind him. He readjusted his position so that he was still facing her. She bent and picked up the sword that had been thrown at him, and then straightened back up. "We've reached an impasse then. I'm not going to tell you who I am first, so unless you tell me who you are, I'm just going to leave you here."

The woman's logic was frustratingly correct. "Fine. I am he called Rylan. Who are you?"

The woman sheathed her sword. "I'm Judith. What are you doing here?"

Rylan hesitated and then relayed the story that Stellovet had crafted for him. "The Queen. She killed my family. I only just managed to get away. I had heard that there was safety to be found in the jungle, so I made my way here. Can you take me to the rebel headquarters?"

The woman, Judith, paused.

"Please?" Rylan asked.

"Well, alright." Judith seemed reluctant. "But only because I don't want to leave you out here by yourself. You were almost snake food just now."

"Snake food? What are you talking about?" Rylan asked, puzzled.

Judith sighed. "Yep, you're coming with me. Follow, and stay close. I take it you can't see anything?"

Rylan was extremely confused, both by the woman's question, and her manner of speech. "It is dark. Of course I can not see anything. Who could?"

"Me." The woman sounded smug. "Come on." She set off at a brisk pace.

As Rylan followed Judith through the jungle, he realized that he was a bit taller then her. Huh. He wondered how old she actually was. From her authoritative tone he had taken her to be quite a bit older then him, but her height made him reconsider that opinion.

"Duck." Judith said suddenly.

"What?" he asked, just as he was smacked in the face by a branch. "Owww!" he hollered.

Judith clapped a hand over his mouth. "Hush! You're going to wake up everything within earshot if you keep that up, and believe me, you do not want to meet some of the creatures that live here…" she trailed off, dropping her hand from his mouth as she did so.

"What?" he whispered.

Judith looked back at him. "Nothing. It's too quiet. Come on, and hurry." She took off at an even faster clip than before, pushing branches aside as she went.

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><p>As Judith raced through the jungle with the boy in tow, her mind was going even faster. What should she do with him? Ditch him, or bring him back to headquarters? She burst out of the brush and onto one of the main paths, one that was lit by the soft glow of stones that had been dipped in a phosphorus substance.<p>

Rylan was right behind her, but he was losing steam. "C-can we stop for a minute?" he panted.

Judith hesitated, but finally nodded. "Just for a minute."

Rylan pulled out one of his water skins and took a few gulps of water. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked over at her. His expression changed to one of surprise. "You do not look much older than I."

Judith bristled, although she didn't know why. It had been a harmless statement. "It is none of your business how old I am," she said stiffly.

"I see." He didn't look convinced.

"Follow me." Judith said, abruptly. She started off along the path again.

They had not gone far when they found their path blocked by a tall man who looked quite strong.

Judith came to a halt in front of the man, and Rylan stopped right behind her. She heard him gulp.

"Judith!" said the man. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, hello, Torrance. I'm taking this refugee that I found by the river to Headquarters."

Torrance looked at Rylan, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide behind Judith.

"What is your name, son?" he asked surprisingly gently.

"Rylan, sir."

"Well Rylan, we are glad to have you here. Do you have any family already here, or who are coming later?"

"No sir. They are all dead. Killed by the Queen's soldiers. My father offended her."

Judith looked at him sharply; he hadn't said anything about that before.

Torrance's expression softened. "I am sorry. I think you both had best come with me." He placed a comforting hand on Rylan's shoulder and began walking in the direction of the Headquarters, leaving Judith to trail behind.

As they walked, Torrance talked to Rylan, asking him questions about his family and the city of Regalia. Rylan didn't seem reluctant to talk, in fact, it was quite the opposite. He wouldn't stop talking. Judith suddenly realized that she didn't like people who talked a lot.

"Some gnawers directed me here," Rylan was saying.

"What were their names?" Judith interjected, somewhat sharply.

"Um," Rylan hesitated for a moment. "Piercefang and…Ripred. I think that is what their names were."

Judith almost tripped. "Ripred? Ripred gave you directions?" The grumpy gnawer was supposed to be on the far side of the wind caverns checking up on the gnawer settlement there.

Rylan nodded. "I believe that was his name."

Judith was incredulous. "And he didn't rip your throat out?"

Rylan was saved from having to reply by Torrance.

"Ah, here we are!"

Indeed, they were now at the main cave. Torrance entered it first, and Rylan was close behind, when a streak of brown fur raced right past Judith, heading straight for him.

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger! Oh! Guess what! I have finished writing this story! It will have 15 chapters, plus an Epilogue. Eep! I'm so Excited! Review please!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! I am finally back. Here is chapter 7. I do not own GTO. Enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 7.<p>

Rylan didn't know what hit him. One second he was following Torrance into the rebel headquarters and the next he was lying face-down on the ground. He tried to get up but found that the thing that had knocked him over was sitting on his back, pinning him to the ground. He could hear Judith laughing, and a wave of annoyance swept over him.

"I gots him!" triumphantly proclaimed a slightly squeaky voice that seemed to be coming from his back.

Judith was still laughing as a gnawer with dark fur hurried over. "Fluffily Put!" she (at least Rylan thought it was a she) scolded. "How many times must I tell you not to knock over the humans?"

The thing on Rylan's back started bouncing up and down.

"I knows this!" it crowed, "seventeen!"

"Stop it!" Rylan tried to say, but it came out sounding more like "Toppft!"

"What was that?" the gnawer with the dark fur asked, kindly.

Judith though, had gotten the message and managed to stop giggling long enough to pluck the thing off his back.

As Rylan scrambled to his feet, he saw that it was a young gnawer, about the size of a five year old. Judith set it back on the ground, and it hurried over to the dark-furred gnawer.

"I am so sorry about that," the dark-furred gnawer told Rylan. She then turned to the young gnawer. "Fluffily Put, say that you are sorry."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," sang Fluffily Put, and then dashed off again without waiting for a reply.

"It was nice meeting you," said the gnawer with the dark fur before she too hurried off.

Rylan watched them go, stunned. He had never been that close to a gnawer before, let alone talked to one. He noticed that Judith didn't seem at all fazed by the incident and resolved not to show his amazement.

Judith was smiling as she watched the dark-furred gnawer follow her energetic charge, but the smile disappeared as she turned and caught Rylan looking at her. "Shall we go in?" she gestured to the cave.

Rylan nodded and followed her into the cavern.

* * *

><p>Judith walked into the main cavern for the second time that day, leading a shaken Rylan to the tunnel that led to the initiation cave. She could tell that the incident with Fluffily Put and his mother had bothered him, but she didn't know why. He had to have seen a gnawer before, hadn't he? She started to turn around to ask him, but then thought better of it. After all, he had said that Ripred had directed him here.<p>

"There you are!"

Judith looked to her right and saw that Torrance was waiting for them by the entrance to a dark cavern. He beckoned them over.

"I was afraid you had gotten lost," he said. "But no matter, the initiators are waiting. Come along, son." Torrance placed a hand on Rylan's shoulder and steered him into the cave.

Judith followed.

The inside of the cave was unlit, to check for echolocation abilities. The darkness also made the questioned a bit uneasy, and more willing to spill any secrets that they might be hiding. The initiation committee was made up of five beings: a nibbler, a human, a spinner, a crawler, and a gnawer. (There was never a flier; they didn't like the small cave.) All members, except for the gnawer (who was crippled and couldn't do anything else), were cycled through on a weekly basis.

The human, a woman named Slyent, began the interrogation. "What is your name?"

Rylan shifted uneasily, "Rylan."

Now the spinner spoke, rubbing its legs over its chest. "How old are you, Rylan?"

"I am fourteen years of age." Rylan replied, slightly more confident.

"You have any family, you have?" asked the crawler.

Judith was watching Rylan, and saw him frown.

"What?" he asked.

Slyent repeated the question. "Have you any family?"

"Oh," Rylan said. "No. They are dead."

"How did they die?" asked the nibbler. Judith knew that voice. It was Secant, her old babysitter.

Rylan hesitated. "They were killed. By Queen Stellovet."

"He's lying." The voice came out of the darkness, and Judith shivered. Lie Less, the gnawer, was the closest thing to a scent-seer in over twenty years. He could smell any emotion, as well as physical conditions and some basic colors. He had been crippled as a baby, and so he could not be used as a major weapon or spy, but was an excellent lie detector.

The crawler quivered. "Why lie you, why lie?"

Rylan looked nervous. "I am not lying."

"That was another lie," Lie Less said.

"How did your parents really die, Rylan?" the spinner asked.

Rylan looked uncomfortable, but after a few minutes of everyone waiting, he finally spoke. "My father was a soldier in the army. He did not like Stellovet, and so he tried to desert. The Queen does not take kindly to deserters, and she ordered his capture and execution. I was two years of age when they finally caught up to him. My mother was grief-stricken. She died of disease six years ago. After she died, I was put into the care of her brother and his wife. Happy?" he sounded miserable.

"Just about," said Secant the nibbler. "Why did you lie the first time?"

Rylan sniffed loudly and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

Judith crinkled her nose in disgust.

"My aunt and uncle are great supporters of Stellovet. My father died opposing her. I could not stay with my aunt and uncle any longer and I thought that if I said that my parents had been killed by the Queen, you would be more likely to let me in," Rylan explained.

Judith felt a stab of pity which was quickly replaced by suspicion. Something didn't quite seem right.

"One last question," said Slyent. "How did you find us?"

"I was wandering around in the jungle when Judith approached me," Rylan replied. "Is that all?"

Using her echolocation, Judith saw that a silent exchange was taking place between the members of the committee. Whatever it was about, the matter was soon resolved and the spinner prepared to speak.

"Yes, that is all. Welcome to the rebel group."

* * *

><p><strong>Eep! He's in! What shall he do now? Question time! If you could have any Underland creature for a bond, what would it be? Review and answer, please! Queen out.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everybody! Here is chapter 8. I do not own TUC. Enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Rylan sat on the edge of his new bed, looking around at the small room that he would be staying in. Torrance had been given care of him, and so Rylan was at Torrance's cave.

His room wasn't very big, but it was nice and private. The bed was actually cut into the wall, something that Rylan found kind of cool. The only real piece of furniture was a small table made of stone. Someone had placed a dried bunch of flowers on it. Rylan decided that he liked the room.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Rylan stood up. "Come in," he called.

The door opened to reveal a frail woman holding a pile of cloth. She stepped into the room and looked around.

Rylan was slightly freaked out. "Um, who are you?" he asked after a minute.

The woman looked at him. "I am Nerissa," she said simply. "Torrance's wife. Queen Luxa's cousin. One-time heir to the throne. Seer. The person who is delivering your bedding to you."

"Oh," said Rylan, taking the sheets that she handed him. "Thank you." What she had said registered just then, and he frowned. "Hang on; you were the heir to the throne?"

Nerissa nodded. "For a few months I was even Queen while my cousin was missing."

"Your cousin?" Rylan was extremely confused.

"Yes," said Nerissa, taking a seat on the bed. "Queen Luxa."

Rylan frowned. "But, Queen Luxa is gone. She died, that's what they told us in history class." Somewhere in the back of Rylan's mind though, something was stirring. A memory, maybe.

_His father. He's angry about something. His mother. She is crying.__ "But when, Kolton, when? When will Queen Luxa return and take her rightful place?" she asks his father. His father is pacing the room. "I do not know, Alexandra. Hopefully soon. Stellovet has already begun to counter everything that Luxa worked for. Did you hear how she ordered Vikus executed? She is denying it, of course, but we all know it was her."_

Rylan gasped.

Nerissa looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Rylan tried to cover it up. "N-nothing.

Nerissa smiled knowingly. "It may be nothing. It may be something. Just remember, here in the jungle, we stick together. There is always someone willing to listen if you want to talk." She stood up. "Late meal will be ready soon." She turned and left the room, leaving Rylan's thoughts in turmoil.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Judith was shaken awake by her mother. "What is it, mom?" she asked sleepily.<p>

Her mother turned to the dresser and started pulling out clothes. "Torrance is waiting for you outside. He wants you to give a tour of the camp to that refugee you found yesterday."

Judith scowled, but got out of bed. "Why me?"

Luxa shrugged. "I have no idea."

Judith sighed. "Okay. Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

Her mother started to leave, and then stuck her head back through the door. "Oh, and Judith?"

"Yeah?"

"I need you to keep an eye on the twins today. Henry is over at your aunts', but the twins don't have anywhere to go until after mid-meal."

Judith frowned, but reluctantly agreed.

Luxa smiled. "Thank you, honey."

Judith finished getting dressed, yawning widely as she did so. She then strapped on her sword and exited the room. She walked quickly through the cave, snagging a plum fruit off of the table as she did so. Pushing aside the thick vines that served as a door, she stepped out into the morning jungle.

"Ah, Judith!" Torrance was waiting for her. "I hope that you slept well?"

Judith shrugged. "Well enough." Looking past him, she saw that Rylan was also there, waiting along with Truce.

Truce spotted her and smiled. "Good morning, Judith."

"Hey, Truce," she said, walking over to him. "Good morning, Rylan."

Rylan nodded, but didn't say anything.

Judith looked around. "Truce, where's Hero?"

Truce looked around as well. "I'm not sure," he said.

"Why do you two talk that way?" asked Rylan suddenly.

"What do you mean?" asked Judith, who was now scanning the trees for her errant sister.

"You keep joining words," said Rylan, "Why do you do that?"

Truce was kneeling down, examining a footprint. "I think it's because our dad's an Overlander."

Rylan was stunned. "An Overlander? But—"

Before he could finish there was a loud whoop and out of the sky tumbled Hero. She hit the ground in a roll before popping up and perfectly catching a sword that fell out of the sky after her. She was still for a second, and then sprang into action, leaping forward towards Rylan.

Rylan shrieked.

"Hero!" Torrance shouted.

A flier swooped out of the sky, coming to a halt next to Truce.

Judith was laughing hysterically. Truce was smiling, and Hero had dropped her sword she was laughing so hard.

Judith saw Rylan open his eyes, staring at Hero, who was curled into a ball on the ground shaking so hard that she could hardly breathe.

"What is going on?" he squeaked.

Truce grinned. "This is my twin sister, Hero." He nudged Hero with his foot. "She wanted to see if you had any guts." He looked down. "What's the verdict, sis?"

Hero sat up, still giggling. "Wimp!" she gasped, and collapsed again.

Rylan flushed, looking towards Torrance.

Torrance was shaking his head, but amused at Hero's antics. "Very funny, Hero. I have to leave now. Judith, you are in charge. Try to stay out of trouble." He turned to leave.

Rylan looked as if he wanted to say something, but remained silent.

Torrance walked away.

Once he was gone, Judith turned to Hero, who had now calmed down a bit.

"Alright guys. Hero, as awesome as that was, don't do it again, okay?"

Hero shrugged. "Sure. Whatever."

Judith nodded. "Truce? Rate that, please."

Truce thought for a moment. "8.6 out of 10."

Hero pumped a fist into the air. "Yes! New personal record!"

"Don't forget to write it down," Judith warned. "Okay." She turned to the flier, Hero's bond. "Hi, Echo."

"Hello, Judith." Echo purred. "I am guessing that Hero must remain grounded for the rest of the day?"

Judith smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Awww." Hero pouted.

"It is alright," Echo told her. "I will see you tomorrow. Fly you high."

"Bye!"

Echo flew off, and Judith turned back to the others. "So. What do you want to do today?"

"I think we're supposed to show him around," said Truce, gesturing towards Rylan.

Judith shrugged. "Okay." She turned to Rylan. "After you."

* * *

><p><strong>Question time! Which twin do you like better? Hero or Truce? Thanks for reading! -Queen<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! I'm back! School is my only excuse. I don't own GTO. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

As Rylan followed Judith through the base, he couldn't help but be impressed. The network was almost flawless, from the positions of gathering points to the shape of the cave entrances. The entire place was designed based on defense and it worked well.

As they walked, Rylan filed little pieces of information away in his head. As soon as he could, he would write his report, including in it what he was learning now.

"Hey, Judith?" asked Hero.

"Yeah?"

"We're going to go hang out with Mellie, okay?"

"Fine. Just be good."

The twins left, leaving Rylan alone with Judith. They ducked through an entrance into another cavern, one that seemed to be some kind of market. Like all of the main caverns it had an opening in the roof, through which fliers were almost constantly coming and going.

"Judy!"

Yet another person waved Judith over, and Rylan found himself in tow. He saw the person, a young man standing next to some baskets of fruit. The man was smiling, but his smile faded when he saw Rylan.

"Hey, Tualt. How are you?" Judith asked the man.

Tualt looked back at her, and his smile reappeared. "I am fine. I see you have found a friend?"

"Who? Him?" Judith asked. "Oh no, he's…uh…" Judith looked over at Rylan, a puzzled expression on her face.

Rylan shrugged. "I am he called Rylan."

"Uh, yeah. He's new here." Judith blushed, though Rylan didn't know why.

"Alright then," Tualt said slowly. "Well, I just wanted to say hello."

"Oh. Hello, then." Judith smiled until Tualt turned away, and then turned and fled, dragging Rylan with her. Once they were out of earshot, she slowed. "Ugh," she groaned.

"What?" asked Rylan.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a bit of a fool sometimes."

Rylan thought about that for a moment, and then something clicked. "Hey, you like him, do you not?"

Judith blushed again. "Oh, you be quiet."

Rylan shrugged.

"Hey, Judith!" a short girl wearing a green dress called.

"Hi, Emmy!" Judith waved to the girl and then turned back to Rylan.

"Do you know everyone here?" asked Rylan incredulously. This was the seventh person that had said hi, or wanted to tell Judith something, and they had only been out for about an hour.

"What do you mean?" Judith asked.

"I mean that everyone keeps calling your name." Rylan ducked to avoid a low-flying flier, and then straightened up.

Judith shrugged. "You get used to it, living here. There's a lot of people, and not much space. Dad calls it a tight-knit community."

They halted at an intersection in the path where what seemed to be half a colony of spinners were crossing.

Rylan watched as the giant arachnids moved purposely across the path, heading onto a small branch-off.

"How do you all get along?"

"How do all of who get along?" asked Judith, watching the last spinner cross.

"You have spinners, fliers, gnawers, nibblers, and humans all living together."

The path was now clear, so they kept on going.

"You forgot the crawlers." Judith remarked.

"Crawlers too?"

"Yup."

"Alright, but answer my question. How do you all live in such a—what was it? Tight-knit?—How do you all live in such a tight-knit community and not kill each other?"

Judith looked slightly offended. "I think you're exaggerating. Kill each other? What a terrible thought. Argue maybe, but not kill. That's Queen Stellovet's job."

Rylan felt a stab of anger. "Queen Stellovet's not the only one who has killed. The last queen, the one before Stellovet, she started a war that killed hundreds. And her champion, the Warrior of the Prophecy, did a lot of that himself."

Judith blinked. "The Warrior? Who's that?"

Rylan stopped dead in his tracks. "You have never heard of the Warrior?"

Judith frowned. "I—I don't know. It sounds familiar, but…"

"The Warrior was first introduced to us in the Prophecy of Gray. You know, Sandwich's greatest prophecy?"

"Who's Sandwich?"

Rylan looked at Judith. "You are joking, right?"

"Um, no?"

"Oh, dear." Rylan bit his lip. The beginnings of a plan were forming in his mind. "You know what? I will make a deal with you."

"What kind of a deal?" Judith asked.

Rylan shrugged. "You seem to be pretty good with that sword. I will teach you the history of the Underland if you will teach me how to fight better."

"Okay."

"Really?" Rylan hadn't expected her to agree so readily.

"Why not? It seems to be a good trade."

Rylan smiled. "Alright then. Let us get started."

* * *

><p>Judith had a hard time falling asleep that night. Rylan had told her all about Sandwich, and all of the prophecies that he could remember. In return, she had started helping him with his swordsmanship.<p>

He had obviously been taught with a group, his technique showed that. He knew most all of the basic moves, but some were rather sloppy; evidence of group training. She had helped him clean up a few of his arm positions and then they had engaged in a practice spar. It had taken exactly ten seconds to disarm him.

Her thoughts kept returning to the Prophecies, though.

_An Overland Warrior, _

_A son of the sun, _

_May bring us back light, _

_He may bring us none._

A warrior from the Overland. A funnily queer idea suddenly hit her. Could the Warrior of the Prophecy be her Dad? She quickly dismissed the thought though. After all, hadn't Rylan said that they had already found the Warrior? And that was before Stellovet had begun her reign… And since Stellovet had been ruling for all of Judith's life, that would mean that her Dad would have just been a kid when the Warrior was around. No, the idea was not a sound one.

Judith sighed and rolled over. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>This was so fun to write. I love it when the characters don't know what's going on. I suppose that is the joy of writing.<strong>

**Question time! In Catching Fire, when they mentioned that District 13 was underground, did anyone else hope that maybe it was the Underlanders? I did!**

**That is all. Review, my pretties. Queen out.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi! Happy Holidays! Here is the next chapter, and a great big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last one! You all get chocolate! Again, I own nothing but the OC's and the plot. Happy reading!**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

The next morning, Rylan woke up early. He felt far from refreshed, however. He had stayed up late writing his report for the Queen, relaying all that he had discovered of the rebel group. Now he just had to take it back to the drop off.

He quickly got dressed, strapping on a sword and tucking his report into the waistband of his pants. He crept out of the cave quietly, so as not to wake Torrance and Nerissa.

Taking a lamp from beside the cave entrance, he set off down the path. It took him a while, but he finally found the river where Judith had discovered him. He walked up and down its banks, at last finding the small trail that he had first followed to the river. Following that path, he at last ended up at the rendezvous spot.

"Rylan?" A dark figure dropped from one of the trees, coming to land right in front of him.

"Artemis!" Rylan ran forward and embraced his bond. "Oh, I have missed you!"

Artemis wrapped a wing around him. "I have missed you as well," she purred. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine." Rylan pulled back and took out the report. "Here is my report."

Artemis looked up, revealing a small pouch hanging on a string around her neck. "Put it in here."

Rylan did so, and stepped back.

Artemis shuffled her feet. "All right then. I should be going."

Rylan nodded, though a lump was forming in his throat. "Fly you high."

Artemis took off, circling twice before soaring off into the darkness.

Rylan turned and started making his way back. It didn't take him as long this time, but he still had to backtrack once or twice. A half an hour later he finally stumbled back onto the main path, sweaty and tired. He was trudging along when all of a sudden he heard two voices, a man's and a woman's. They were arguing loudly. Rylan stopped to listen.

"Luxa—"

"We have to wait for Ripred. It won't work without him."

"We're perfectly capable of attacking Regalia without him."

Rylan gasped. Attack Regalia?

The woman, Luxa, was talking again. "Gregor, this is Stellovet we're talking about. We need Ripred's experience."

"I've got experience! And you were trained by Sollovet."

"I'm not Sollovet!" Luxa snapped. "And you haven't fought in a major battle since you were sixteen."

The voices had been moving closer, so Rylan had stepped off the path. Now the speakers came into view; a woman whose long hair was pulled into a braid, and an Overlander man.

Rylan caught his breath.

The Overlander looked just like Judith, only with a longer nose and darker hair.

"Well, that doesn't mean I can't fight anymore. I'm still a Rager." The Overlander, Gregor, ran his fingers through his hair.

Luxa frowned. "Speaking of that, I am starting to suspect that Hero…"

At this point the couple walked out of earshot, leaving Rylan's head spinning. There was going to be an attack on Regalia. Judith's mom's name was Luxa, and her dad was an Overlander rager.

Just then, something clicked, and Rylan gasped again.

Queen Luxa wasn't dead.

The Warrior had not returned to the Overland.

They were both here, in the jungle, married with kids.

Queen Stellovet had lied to him.

Another memory swam to the surface.

"_Tell me a story, daddy."_

_His father smiled. "All right. What about?"_

"_The Queen." The Queen was someone he had been hearing a lot about lately._

_His father's face took on a more serious expression. "Alright. The Queen's name is Luxa. She lives in the jungle."_

"_Why does she live in the jungle?"_

_His father looked him right in the eye. "Rylan, some people say that Stellovet is the queen, but that is wrong. The true queen, Queen Luxa, is in the jungle because Stellovet made her go there. Hopefully someday she will return…"_

Rylan was almost shaking. Stellovet was an imposter. Judith's mom was the true queen. He drew a long quavering breath which he released in a squeak as another thought hit him. If Judith's mom was the true queen… then _Judith_ was the real heir to the throne.

* * *

><p>Judith was worried. Overnight, the whole atmosphere of the rebel camp seemed to have change. There was an anxious, furtive feeling in the air, as if something big and secret was going on. Her parents had argued again too, although Judith didn't know what their disagreement had been about.<p>

Rylan seemed to be avoiding her. She had gone over to Torrance and Nerissa's cave for his sword fighting lesson, but Nerissa said that he was not feeling well. She had protested, after all, he had been fine yesterday. But Nerissa had just smiled sadly, saying that he was a bit overwhelmed. Whatever _that_ meant.

At last she decided to go visit Aunt Lizzie. Judith was quite fond of her aunt. The walk to their cave wasn't far, so it took almost no time at all to get there. Pushing aside the vines, she called out, "Hello?"

"Hi!" Hamnet popped up at her elbow, grinning from ear to ear.

"Judy!" Henry appeared as well.

"Hey, you two. Is Aunt Lizzie here?"

"Over here, dear." Lizzie called from the sitting area.

Judith walked over. "Hi, Auntie. How are you?"

Lizzie patted her largely protruding belly. "I suppose I'm fine, considering that I feel about to burst. How your mom managed twins I'll never know. Take a seat."

Judith sat down beside her aunt.

"So what brings you here?" asked Lizzie.

"Well, I was bored. And I haven't seen you in a while. And I was wondering if you might know what's going on."

Lizzie smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry honey, but I don't. You know they don't tell me much. I've asked, but all that they will tell me is that Ripred should be showing up any day now."

"Ripred?" Judith was surprised, although pleasantly so. Then a thought suddenly struck her. "Oh, that's what it is!"

"What?" asked Lizzie.

Judith looked at her aunt. "Promise not to have a panic attack?"

Lizzie shrugged. "Sure."

"I think they must be planning an assault."

Lizzie frowned. Judith could almost see the wheels in her mind turning. "Yes. Yes, I suppose that could work. They would have to target the east entrance to the city though. And that's assuming that they're attacking Regalia…" Lizzie's frown deepened. "Hang on, why am I not in on this?"

"What do you mean?" asked Judith, confused.

Lizzie hefted herself to her feet, groaning as she did so. "They need me to help plan the attack. I'm one of the best strategists. And what if they need a code?" she started for the door.

"Wait—Aunt Lizzie, I don't think that this is a good idea. There's a reason they didn't tell you about this—"

Henry and Hamnet barreled into the room.

"Hi, Mommy! Where are you going?" asked Hamnet.

"Can we come too?" asked Henry.

Lizzie looked at them. "Sure. Why not?"

The boys cheered, and Judith tried to break into the conversation. "Aunt Lizzie! Wait!"

But her aunt was not to be stopped. With the two little boys in tow, and Judith trailing behind, Lizzie led the way to the central command cave. She knocked twice on the door (one of the only two they had in the jungle) and then strode inside.

"Liz? What are you doing here?"

Looking over her aunt's shoulder, Judith could see all of the leaders sitting around a large stone table. Her mom and dad were there, as well as some of her friend's parents. The spinner queen, Velvex, was present as well as the flier king, Janus. Her uncle Hazard, Lizzie's husband, was looking over at them with a concerned expression.

"Hi, mommy!" Henry waved.

Luxa stood up. "Henry? Judith? What—"

Lizzie interrupted. "Are you planning an attack on Regalia?"

Luxa looked surprised. Several people started muttering to each other.

Hazard got up and came over. "Look, Liz, I don't know how you found out about that, but you're in no condition—"

"Hazard, I'm fine," Lizzie said exasperatedly. "Judith and I figured out that you were planning an attack, and I want to help."

Hazard looked at Judith. "You encouraged her?"

Judith shook her head. "Not on purpose."

Gregor now stood up as well. "Look, we don't have time for this!"

"No, we do not," agreed a familiar voice. A large gray gnawer with two scars in the shape of an X over his face stepped into the light.

Judith broke into a grin. Ripred had arrived.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. That's a lot of information for one chapter. The suspense is growing! Eep!<strong>

**Question time! What would YOU do if you were in Rylan's place at this point? **

**Also... I have a new oneshot! It's for the Rise of the Guardians movie. If you've seen it, you should check out my fic. It's called Jack's Frost. It's about how his little sister felt after seeing him go through the ice. It's got over 30 likes so far, so I guess it's pretty good. **

**Have a great New Year's and don't forget to subscribe/favorite/review! Thanks for reading! Queen out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi! Thank you all so much for all the reviews! (Underland Critic, your review in particular gave me mixed feelings. Please see bottom.) Anyway, this is a DEEP chapter. I felt very accomplished after I wrote it. It's not often that I get into the personal deep feeling of my characters, so this was new for me. As always, I do not own GTO. Enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

It took Rylan two days to recover from the shock of his discovery. During those two days the only thing that kept him sane was Nerissa, who sat and listened to him ramble about nothing, made him a delicious soup to cheer him up, and conversed with him about their pasts.

"Are you an only child, Rylan?"

"I had a sister, I think. She was much older than me. I am pretty sure she was killed in a training accident when I was very small, but no one will tell me for sure what happened to her." Rylan hadn't ever told anyone about this before.

Nerissa nodded. "I see. I had a sibling too, once. His name was Henry."

"What happened to him?" Rylan asked.

Nerissa looked sad. "He turned traitor. There was a quest you see, for the Warrior and the Princess had just arrived and the gnawers had declared death for both of them. Henry had secretly been plotting against Regalia, and our cousin, Queen Luxa. He betrayed Luxa and the Warrior to the king of the gnawers, Gorger. And he died as he fell, pursuing the warrior over a cliff."

"He betrayed you too?" Rylan was horrified. "His own sister?"

Nerissa paused, and when she spoke again, her tone seemed different, more serious somehow. "Rylan, there comes a time when you have to prioritize your alliances. When that time comes, there are several things you have to take into account. One, how this will change your personal relationships, two, how your decision will affect the overall balance of things, and third, how it will make you feel.

"When Henry made his decision to betray his family, he probably took at least two of these things into account. After all, he was a smart boy. I believe that he knew that his choice would shatter his relationships. He certainly knew that it would affect the general balance, as his plan was to form an alliance with King Gorger to overthrow Luxa and together rule the Underland. What he ignored was how his choice would make him feel. I am sure that if he had lived instead of the Warrior, he would have been overwhelmed by guilt. Do you see?"

Rylan nodded grudgingly. He understood all too well.

"And you want to know the worst part?" asked Nerissa. When Rylan didn't reply, she continued, "Henry was not influenced to his decision. He made it on his own. Some people have been raised to make certain terrible decisions over good ones, and then there are some who make the decisions all on their own. Henry was one of the latter. And then there are those who are specks of light in the dark, the ones who manage to make the right choice no matter what. _Which will you be?_"

Rylan looked up, startled. "What?"

Nerissa's expression was unreadable. "I said, 'and then there are those who are specks of light in the dark, the ones who manage to make the right choice no matter what.'"

"No, no, I meant after that," Rylan stood up, agitated.

Nerissa raised her eyebrows. "I said nothing. Perhaps you should take a walk, you seem rather distressed. Maybe that will calm you down."

"Very well," muttered Rylan, "A walk." He strapped on his sword and set off, heading for nowhere in particular. Nerissa's words kept spinning though his head, as well as her unspoken question. _Which will you be?_ In truth, he wasn't sure. He had learned a lot here in the jungle.

Stellovet was a liar and an imposter, and from what he could gather, a murderer as well. Yet she was his aunt, and he was her heir. He owed her, seeing as how she had taken him in after his mother had died.

On the other hand, he was becoming fond of the rebels, although he didn't like to admit it. He had found a true friend in Nerissa, and possibly in Judith as well. Also, he was finding that although life in the jungle wasn't exactly easy or fun, it had an oddly appealing side to it. But they were planning to attack his home, his friends, and his family. What to decide?

In desperation, he tried to plug his situation into Nerissa's three rules of prioritizing.

One, how this would change his personal relationships.

Well, if he told Stellovet about the attack, it was very likely that a whole lot of rebels would die, if not from an ambush that the Queen would probably set up, then from the counter attack that she would send at the camp. And either way, Judith or Nerissa may be killed. But if he didn't tell Stellovet about the attack, the rebels might destroy the city, and his friends Kent and Lyson would be in danger. Okay, so either choice would affect his relationships.

Two, how his decision would affect the overall balance of things.

That was easy. If he told, that would give Stellovet the upper hand. If he didn't, the rebels would have the advantage.

Three, how his choice would make him feel. He didn't like Stellovet. He would be slightly relieved if she was gone, if a bit guilty for not sticking with her. But if he sided with the Queen, he would also feel guilty for not sticking with what he knew was right. But could he be brave enough to stand up to his aunt?

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><p>After three days of absence, Judith had almost given up on Rylan. After all, with the arrival of Ripred there were far more interesting things to attend to.<p>

Judith loved Ripred. Her dad had told her that she had a grandfather in the overland, but in the Underland, the closest thing she had was Ripred. He was the one who had taught her how to echolocate, how to think on her feet, and had taken her on her first adventure back when she was nine. His visits were few and far between, but she loved it when he did come to see them.

And now, with him here, the attack plans were beginning in earnest.

Luxa had tried to kick her out of the planning, but Ripred had intervened, reasoning that she was older then Luxa had been when she had started her first war. Judith wasn't sure what he meant by that, but it worked. She got to stay and observe, and help take messages from one place to another.

It just so happened that Judith was running a message to the weapons reserve on the other side of camp when she ran into Rylan. Literally.

"Oh, sorry," she said as she helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

"Hey, where have you been, anyway? I haven't seen you in days."

Rylan shrugged, still not meeting her eye. "I was feeling a bit ill."

"Oh…okay. Hey, want to come with me? I'm taking a message over to the armory."

"Alright."

Judith set off again, this time with Rylan in tow. Something seemed off about him, but she didn't know him well enough to tell what it was.

They arrived at the armory, and Judith delivered the message to Mincah, her friend Myrenda's mom.

Rylan seemed to come around a bit as he gazed openmouthed at the huge stock of weapons that the rebels had accumulated over the thirty years since they had first arrived.

"Where did you get all of this?" he asked, examining a full set of nibbler armor lying on a stone table.

"We made it. At least, some of it. Armor is a group effort. The diggers find the metal and bring it to camp. The nibblers make the calculations, how much metal is needed, what size it needs to be, etcetera. The gnawers, fliers, and crawlers have to find extra fish to make a fire big enough to heat that much metal, and the humans melt it down and shape it. The spinners weave under armor and padding. All to make the best armor you will ever see.

Rylan seemed impressed. "That is… amazing. How you all cooperate so well. Back in Regalia, they have problems just trying to get the humans to work together, let alone other species."

"Really?" Judith couldn't imagine living in a place that conflicted. "But… how do you live? We all need each other to survive. It's common sense. I mean, even the crawlers are essential to life here."

She watched as Rylan's expression turned to one of befuddlement and disbelief. He opened his mouth, and then shut it again, biting his lip.

Judith laughed. "You're over thinking this, Rylan. Come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "There's someone here that I think you'll be glad to meet."

If possible, that statement just seemed to confuse him more, and his brow furrowed. "Who?"

"You'll see." How surprised he would be to see Ripred here! She hoped that Ripred hadn't been mean to him during the brief time they had met. After all, Rylan was turning out to be a nice guy.

"Judith, are we almost there?" Rylan looked a bit unsettled.

They rounded a corner and Judith halted abruptly. "Yep. We are here." Dropping Rylan's hand, she knocked twice, and the door swung open. "Come on."

Judith led the way into the central command cave. As soon as they were through the door, the sounds of arguing reached her ears.

"What is going on?" whispered Rylan.

Judith smiled. "It's probably one or both of my parents. They like to argue."

Sure enough, as they entered the main cavern, Judith saw that her mother was in the middle of a heated argument with Ripred.

"Luxa, I don't care! Gregor, she listens to you, tell her that she needs more support from the left side!" the rat growled.

Gregor shrugged. "I'm not getting into this. Just because she listens to me doesn't mean she actually does what I say."

"I'd thank you not to tell me what to do, Ripred! I'm not a child anymore!" Luxa was fuming.

"Ripred?" squeaked Rylan. Judith turned to look at him and saw that he had gone very pale.

"Oh you're not, are you?" Ripred continued, sarcastically. "Are you sure? Because last time I checked, you were still acting like one."

Luxa looked ready to throw something at the gnawer, so Judith decided to intervene.

"Ripred!"

He turned, catching sight of her. "Oh, hello Judith. Hey, would you mind telling your mother that she needs more support on the left side?"

Judith frowned. "Really? Let me see." She moved forward to the table, and examined the attack diagram. "Hmmm. Not necessarily."

"What?" snapped Ripred.

"If you were to have the left side attack in a layered formation, they would probably be able to support themselves just fine," explained Judith.

Hazard nodded slowly. "We could also have Gregor lead that side."

"See! I told you so!" Luxa said smugly. She came up and squeezed Judith's shoulder. "That's my girl."

Ripred looked disgruntled. "Whatever. Let's have a break."

The leaders murmured their agreement and gently dispersed.

Ripred turned to go and spotted Rylan. "Now who do we have here? Is this your boyfriend, Judith?"

Rylan turned bright red.

"What?! No! He's not my boyfriend! This is Rylan. You've met before, don't you remember? You told him how to get to camp!"

Ripred squinted in Rylan's direction. "And when exactly did I do that?"

"Just over a week ago! I found him wandering in the jungle and he said that you had told him how to…get…oh."

Judith trailed off as suddenly, she realized what had been bothering her ever since Rylan's interrogation. Although he had told _her_ that Ripred had given him directions, that wasn't what he had told the initiators. No, he had just told them that she had brought him to camp. And if Ripred had been close enough for Rylan to have run into him, why hadn't he gotten here sooner? _Because Rylan had lied._

Ripred must have seen the expression on her face, because he immediately had Rylan floored.

"Who are you boy?" he growled. "Tell the truth. The game's up."

Rylan swallowed hard. "Look, I can not—"

Judith interrupted. "The truth, Rylan. How did you get to the jungle? How did you find our camp?"

Rylan looked around, but seemed to realize that there was no escape. He hung his head. "Artemis."

"Who?"

"Artemis… my bond."

Ripred narrowed his eyes. "Only the high up Regalians are allowed bonds these days. What did you do to get one?"

"My aunt. She let me."

"And who is your aunt, that she has the power to get you permission to bond?"

Rylan looked past Ripred, at Judith. The sorrow that she saw in his eyes was so great that she almost wanted to cry. But that changed a second later as he spoke just four words.

"Stellovet is my aunt."

Judith felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"Spy!" Ripred shouted. The other leaders sprang into action, and Rylan was soon bound and hustled out of the cave. Something fluttered out of his pocket as they took him, and Judith bent down and picked it up. It was a piece of the fabric that was used for writing, but instead of words, it was covered in lines and slashes. She recognized it as marks from the tree of transmission, but couldn't decipher it. She had never really gotten the hang of that kind of communication.

All of a sudden, the full enormity of what had just occurred overcame her and she burst into tears. She was inconsolable, for she had screwed up, and for that, there was no comfort.

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><p><strong>Well, he's been found out. <strong>

**Question! What would be the number one thing you would want with you if you fell into the Underland?**

**Thanks for reading! Look for the next chapter within the month! Queen out!**

**(Underland Critic- Thank you for the compliment on my dialogue, I am aware that it is my strong suit. However relaying is not the same thing as relying, and I did use it in context. My chapters have been getting longer, this one is over 2,000 words. Thank you for your feedback, but you are not my editor. I would appreciate it if in the future, you would refrain from telling me that my story NEEDS something. I am the author. I am not trying to get this published. This is for my enjoyment and practice. I'm just trying to say that your review was a little harsh-sounding. It would be easy to mistake you for a troll. You did not elaborate on how my story is lacking in voice. My vocab is balanced. I guess what I'm trying to say is that is you are going to give that kind of review, you are going to need to be prepared to give more detail. Otherwise it just comes off as troll-ish. Again, thank you. I hope that this will help your future reviews.)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, again! 47 reviews! Wow! This chapter is dedicated to the Guest who reminded me that it was time to update. Here's your wish! Can you believe that it's chapter 12 already? Only three more chapters and an Epilogue to go... I do not own GTO, but I may have used Google Maps to track down where Suzanne Collins lives. Anywho, enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

They put Rylan in the camp prison. The only other person there was an older man who was wearing the uniform of a Fount guard, though it was quite tattered. He kept staring at Rylan, which made Rylan uncomfortable. At last, he spoke, in a voice that sounded as if it had not been used in a long time.

"You look familiar, boy. Do I know you?"

Rylan shook his head. "I do not think so."

The man shrugged, and leaned back against the wall. "Huh. What did you do to deserve this?" he gestured toward the small prison cell.

"I—I was a spy," Rylan admitted. "For my aunt… Queen Stellovet."

The man's eyebrows rose. "Stellovet. You say you 'were' her spy? Not now though?"

Rylan hesitated. "Well, I suppose I still am, but…"

"But you are having doubts?"

Rylan nodded.

The ghost of a smile played around the man's lips. "Welcome to the club, boy."

They were both quiet for a minute.

"So… what is your story?" asked Rylan timidly.

The man twitched. "I was a guard at the Fount. The rebels kidnapped me from my post two months ago, thinking I was someone else. When they realized their mistake, they put me in here. But I do not mind. I am not exactly one of Stellovet's biggest fans, to tell you the truth. And the rebels are not so bad."

"I know." A wave of guilt swept over Rylan. How could he have even thought of destroying these people?

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><p>The day after Rylan's exposure, Judith sat on the floor of her cousin Hamnet's room, staring at the wall, on which there was a copy of the tree of transmission. Rylan's slip of fabric was in her hands, and she kept referring to it as she deciphered its message.<p>

So far she had:

Who is right-Stellovet or Nerissa-Which should I choose

Judith was confused. Did this mean that Rylan was having second thoughts?

There was a knock on the door frame.

"Come in," Judith muttered.

"Judith?"

To her surprise, it was her father. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

Her dad was dressed in his armor, and had both a sword and a dagger belted to his waist. He seemed a bit distracted. "I came to find you. Are you all right?"

Judith stood up. "I am fine."

"Good. Listen… I have a job for you."

"What?" Judith was surprised. This was most unlike her father.

"A job—"

"I meant what kind of job?"

"Oh, right." Gregor ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "The attack is starting now. The first wave just left. I want you to keep things under control here at camp."

Judith blinked. "The whole camp?"

Gregor nodded. "This attack, it involves almost all of the adults. Only a few are staying here. I'd like you to be in charge."

"Uh, okay."

Gregor nodded, and handed her a set of keys. "You'll need these. I know you'll do wonderfully." He patted her on the shoulder, and then left.

Judith paused a moment, and then followed him. Outside, most of the army was waiting for Gregor. Luxa was waiting with Aurora, and Gregor mounted Achilles, one of the fastest fliers in the Underland. A signal was given, and they all took to the air.

Lizzie came out of the cave and put an arm around Judith. "They'll be back," she murmured, though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

After a minute, Judith sighed. "Well. I guess I'll go make sure everything is in order."

"Okay, sweetie."

Her aunt went back into the cave. As soon as she was out of sight, Judith took off, heading as fast as she could towards the prison.

There was no one guarding it, so Judith walked right on in. Rylan was in one of the cells, leaning against the wall and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Rylan!"

He jumped, and looked over at her. "Judith? What are you doing here?"

"I found your note." She held it up. "Am I right in thinking that you are no longer loyal to Stellovet?"

Rylan shrugged. "No, I am not. But…"

Judith looked at him suspiciously. "What?"

Rylan hesitated. "My friends and Artemis. They do not know about the attack. I would have revealed my secret earlier, but if I did, I wouldn't have been able to warn my friends about the attack. They are in danger, Judith."

Judith bit her lip. The look in Rylan's eyes, the despair she saw there, was heartbreaking. But he had betrayed her trust. Why should she help him?

_Because if you don't, you're no better then Stellovet,_ reasoned a little voice in her mind.

That did it. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the set of keys that her dad had given her and unlocked the door.

Rylan looked up. "What are you doing?"

"Come on. We have to go warn your friends."

After much pleading, they finally convinced Echo and Hero to give them a ride to Regalia. The only downside to this was that Hero insisted on coming along, seeing as how Echo was her bond. And because Truce went wherever Hero went, that meant that he had to come too.

Soon, the four children were in the air, flying towards the city that Judith had only heard about. She kept her eyes shut for most of the ride. Flying wasn't her favorite thing in the world. Unfortunately, there was no way to turn off her echolocation, so she was still able to tell how high up they were.

"So, what is the plan?" asked Echo after a while.

"We have to warn my friends and find my bond." Rylan said.

"Where are they, though?" asked Truce. "This sounds like an in-and-out mission. We have to be quick."

"They live near the palace," Rylan replied. "Their dad is the head of the Regalian hospital."

They quickly formulated a plan, taking into account when and where the attack was taking place.

"We'll have to go in on either the south or west side. The east and north sides will be under attack in about an hour." Judith was now extremely glad that she had been in the command cavern when they were planning the attack.

"West," declared Rylan.

"Why west?" asked Hero.

"Because if we went in on the south side, we would be flying over the arena. And if we were to fly over the arena, we would probably be seen. And if we were seen, the archers would fire. And if the archers fired—"

"Okay, okay, we get the picture," Truce said hurriedly. "West side it is."

"Archers?" Hero sounded, for maybe the first time in her ten years, a bit worried.

"Do not worry," Rylan said reassuringly. "I know the peace code."

"Peace code?" asked Judith, feeling a bit faint.

"Yes," Rylan replied. "It is a flight pattern that tells those on the ground that you mean no harm. But I do not want to risk having to use it."

"Good enough." Judith shrugged.

They flew in silence after that, until Echo finally announced: "We're here."

"Whoa!" gasped Hero.

"It's… beautiful," Truce said in awe.

Leaning over Echo's side, Judith clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The picture that registered in her mind a few seconds later was indeed, quite beautiful.

"It's amazing," she murmured.

"You can all see?" asked Rylan, sounding puzzled.

"Sure," said Truce. "Can't you?"

"He doesn't know how to echolocate," explained Judith.

"Where do I go from here?" Echo broke in.

"Head towards the big round building," Rylan instructed.

The next few minutes were tense for all five of them. They had to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid an air patrol at one point, but besides that, they had little difficulty.

At last, they landed, coming down in an alleyway near the palace. Judith slid off, grateful to be on land again.

The twins started to dismount as well, but Rylan stopped them.

"You three stay here. We'll be back in a minute."

Hero looked as if she were about to protest, but Truce leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes lit up, and she nodded. "Okay. We'll stay here."

"Be good," Judith warned.

"Come on," Rylan told her.

Together, the two dashed off into the city.

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><p><strong>Hmmm. Get the feeling that the twins are up to something? If so, then you have the right idea. <strong>

**Question: Where would you rather live, the Sahara desert or Antartica? **

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated! Queen out.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi, Peoples! It's me. QueenCobraWing, are you okay? You haven't reviewed the last five chapters or so... Anyway, here is chapter 13. I still don't own the Underland Chronicles. Sad, no?**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Rylan wound his way through the streets of Regalia with Judith following behind, and ducking whenever he saw a member of the Royal Guard.

"It's so huge!" He heard Judith whisper.

"It's Regalia," he informed her. "Has not your mother told you anything about it?"

"My mother?" Judith sounded confused, but just then, Rylan stopped.

"We are here."

Rylan did not bother knocking, but instead walked straight in. Judith cautiously followed. He led her towards the stairs and started climbing.

"What are these?"

Rylan looked back and realized that Judith was still at the bottom of the steps.

"Stairs."

"Where do they lead?"

"Up to the second level. Come on!"

Hesitantly, she placed her foot on the first step and soon they were both at the top.

"I did it!" Judith whisper-shouted excitedly.

Rylan rolled his eyes, and led her down a short hallway and into another room.

His friends Kent and Lyson, who were sitting on the floor, looked up in surprise at the sudden intrusion.

"Rylan!" Kent leapt to his feet and rushed over. "You are back!"

"Yes, but we don't have time for this! The city is about to be attacked!"

"What?" asked Lyson, who now was on his feet as well. "By who?"

"My parents." Judith spoke up for the first time.

Kent frowned at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Judi—" she started to reply but was interrupted by a new arrival.

"Rylan!"

Kent and Lyson's dad Howard stood in the doorway.

"Hello, Howard. Look, we don't—"

"And who is this?" Howard asked, looking at Judith.

"That is Judith," Rylan said impatiently. "Now listen—"

Howard gasped. Judith had shifted into the light, and now her face was visible. Rylan didn't see why that was a problem, but Howard looked as if someone had just pushed him off a cliff. "But…how?" he whispered.

Judith looked uncomfortable. "Please, I have no idea what you are talking about, but we need to get out of here."

Howard didn't seem to have heard her. "Judith, do you know…Gregor?"

It was Judith's turn to look shocked. "Yeah. Do you?"

Howard looked grim. "I did. Tell me, how did you get to the Underland?"

"I've been here all my life," Judith replied. "But look, we DO NOT have time for this!"

For the first time, Howard seemed to hear her. "What do you mean?"

Rylan jumped in. "An attack. On the city. We came to warn you."

"Who is attacking?"

"The rebels from the jungle."

All of a sudden, Judith yelped.

"What?" Rylan asked her.

"Please tell me we didn't leave Truce and Hero in the same city as Stellovet."

Getting her meaning, Rylan's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

Howard seemed more confused then ever. "Hero? She is here?"

"Never mind that, Howard. Just get your family somewhere safe."

Lyson stepped forward. "We will take care of that."

"Good." Rylan said. Judith grabbed his arm.

"We have to go—now!"

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><p>The two teens ran as fast as they could, back through the city, with Judith was mentally kicking herself the whole way. How could she have been such an idiot? She clung to the faint hope that her worries would amount to naught, and that the twins would be in exactly the same spot as where they had left them. But as they rounded the last corner, she saw that her suspicions had been correct. The twins were nowhere to be found.<p>

Judith let out a cry of rage and fell to her knees. "They-they're gone. And it's my fault."

"Look, it is not all your fault," Rylan said soothingly. "I was the one who said they had to stay here."

"But you don't know them, and I do. I should have known better then to leave Hero unattended."

"Why Hero?" Rylan sounded curious. "Why is she so dangerous?"

Judith looked up at him. "Hero is a fighter. You've seen her idea of fun. Plus, our dad is a rager. Out of the four of us, Hero is the only one who seems to have inherited that ability prominently."

"Do you have it?"

Judith shrugged. "A little, I think. But not as much as Hero."

"So Hero is a rager. What does that have to do with anything?"

"It makes her cocky. Her namesake, our mom's cousin Hero, was killed by Stellovet. I've overheard her talking about one day avenging the original Hero."

"Hang on…Are you saying that she has gone to kill Stellovet?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But…" Rylan was at a loss for words. "That would practically be suicide!"

"I know!" Judith bit her lip. "I know." Her head dropped to her knees. Here she was, having failed in her position as oldest sibling, stranded in a city that was utterly foreign, with no way to set about making amends.

Just then, she heard the soft beating of wings. Looking up, she saw that three fliers were coming down for a landing right in front of her.

Beside her, Rylan sprang to his feet. "Artemis!"

A flier with very dark fur opened her wings and engulfed the boy in a hug.

The next thing Judith knew, Kent and Lyson were dismounting from the other two fliers.

Kent came over, smiling shyly. "You look as if you could use a ride."

Judith looked up at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I could."

"Well then, come on!" He helped her to her feet, and she followed him over to his flier. "Judith, this is Apollo."

"My twin brother," Artemis chimed in.

"I am pleased to meet you," Judith said politely.

Kent climbed onto Apollo, and then held out a hand for Judith. "Come on!"

Hesitantly, she took his hand, and he helped her up behind him.

"You have flown before?" he asked her.

"Yes." For some reason she blushed as she said this, although she didn't know why.

"Good. Where to?"

It was Rylan who answered. "The throne room."

The three fliers took off, heading straight up to the top of the palace. They silently swooped through the opening in the roof, coming in for a landing on the floor of a large open room.

"Whoa!" Judith slid off the flier and stood, gawking at the room. "It's so weird!"

"Um, Judith? Are we not in a hurry?" Rylan sounded worried.

"Yes. Where do we go?" she asked, snapping back to reality.

"I am unsure. Where do you think the twins would be?"

Judith swallowed hard. "Wherever Stellovet is. We find the queen, we find the twins."

"Why do you say that as if it is a bad thing?" asked Lyson. "I am sure that Aunty Stell would not hurt them. Not if they are children."

"Then you don't know Stellovet very well," Judith replied darkly. "Come on."

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><p><strong>Just a warning, this is where the T rating starts to kick in. The next chapter is pretty dark. I'm not telling anything, but... Well, you'll see. <strong>

**Question- After reading this chapter, what mood are you in?**

**Review, my lovelies. Queen out.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, everyone! Okay. This chapter is... Well, I'll let you judge what it is. I don't own TUC. Read on. I'm sorry.**

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

The four teens crept swiftly through the halls of the palace, with Rylan leading the way. If he knew his aunt's habits as well as he thought he did, then she would be in the throne room. He decided to enter on the balcony, a favorite haunt of his. Many an hour he had spent on that balcony, hidden in the curtains, listening in on whatever happened to be transpiring in the room below.

Up the winding stairs, they were almost there. Rylan glanced back at Judith. Her expression was one he had never seen on her before. It was as if she were preparing for a worrisome fight, one that she was not entirely sure that she could win.

They reached the top of the stairs. Taking care not to disturb the curtain too much, Rylan slipped onto the balcony overlooking the throne room. The other three followed. Getting down on all fours, Rylan crawled forward to the edge of the balcony and peered over. The others copied his example.

"Stellovet," Judith breathed.

And indeed, there was the Queen. She stood in the center of the room, along with a light gray gnawer of medium size. There were no guards that Rylan could see, but he knew that that did not mean a whole lot. There could be a whole army just outside for all he knew.

Just then, someone wiggled up next to his elbow, between him and Judith.

"Hi," whispered Hero. "Nice of you to show up."

"Hero!" Judith whisper-shrieked. "There you are! Did you have any idea how worried I was? Where's Truce?"

Hero looked slightly ashamed. "I'm sorry, Judy. I didn't mean to scare you, but Truce said—"

"Never mind. At least you're safe. Let's just get out of here. Where's Truce?"

Before Hero could answer, Rylan spotted something out of the corner of his eye. One of the draperies that hung about the room was moving slightly, as if someone was hiding behind it. "Judith," he warned in a low voice.

"Not now, Rylan. Hero! Tell me!"

Hero bit her lip. "Judy, you've kinda stumbled into the middle of our plan."

Rylan saw the drape move again, and this time, a head poked out from behind it, slowly followed by the rest of the person. "Judith!"

"What do you mean 'your plan'? Hero, tell me where your brother is!"

"Judith!" Kent had also noticed what was happening below. "Look!"

Judith looked.

Rylan looked. What he saw sent a chill down his spine. Truce was trying to sneak up behind the queen, a dagger at the ready.

Judith made a strangled sound in the back of her throat.

"No," whispered Lyson. "It will not work!"

Closer crept Truce.

Rylan gripped the edge of the balcony, his knuckles turning white.

Truce was almost there.

"Hey!" shouted the gnawer. "Who are you?!"

Truce lunged forward just as the queen turned to face him.

Judith stifled a scream.

The blade fell short and Truce overbalanced, falling to the floor. His dagger clattered out of his hand and the gnawer batted it away, sending it skittering across the stone floor. Stellovet stepped forward.

"Ah, who do we have here? An assassin?" Quick as a snake, Stellovet darted forward, grabbing Truce by the front of his shirt and yanking him to his feet. With her other hand she took hold of his hair, wrenching back his head so as to reveal his face.

Truce stared back at her, fear in his eyes.

Beside Rylan, Hero was becoming frantic. "This wasn't the plan!" she whispered, terrified for her brother's sake.

Below, Stellovet had frozen, looking at Truce's features. "Who-who are you?" Her tone was part disbelief, part anger, and part…was that fear?

Truce's chin jutted out in defiance. "Truce. Age ten. Junior patrol member 41."

"Who are your parents, Truce?"

Truce looked around, searching for an exit. Finding none, he slumped in defeat.

"Do not tell her," Rylan muttered, urging Truce to remain silent.

Alas, Truce did not heed the mental warning. "Their names are Gregor and Luxa."

Stellovet's eyes widened. She released her hold on Truce, and he fell to his knees. "Luxa," she said bitterly. "I should have known."

Beside her, Truce was struggling to his feet.

Rylan saw Stellovet's expression turn to one of delight. "And now, I have her filthy offspring here! Under my power." With that, she turned again. Her sword flashed once.

Truce didn't have time to react. The gash across his chest began to turn the shirt around it red. He looked down, seeming not to process what he saw.

"That is for Luxa," Stellovet hissed. Her sword flashed again, this time in the other direction, creating an 'X' across Truce's chest.

"And that," Stellovet said smugly. "Is for the Warrior." She turned away.

Rylan was petrified with horror as he watched Truce sink to the floor, his shirt stained red with blood.

Hero suddenly seemed to regain use of her limbs. She jumped to her feet, not caring if the queen saw her now. "You coward!"

Judith was sobbing violently. Kent looked as if he wanted to comfort her, but he too was crying.

Stellovet had looked up at Hero's call. "More intruders?" she sounded amused, but then saw that all three of her nephews were also there. "Rylan? Kent? Lyson? Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Echo!" snapped Hero. Through the flier hole in the ceiling came Hero's bond. Hero jumped on as she flew past, coming to rest on the ground below. Hero hopped off, running to her fallen brother. "Oh, Truce," she sobbed.

Stellovet glanced at Hero distastefully and then up at her nephews. "I shall deal with you three later," she said. "Right now I have more important matters to attend to."

"Like what?" Lyson seemed to swell with fury. "Killing more ten year olds?"

Judith got shakily to her feet. "The game is up, Stellovet. Even now, the city is being attacked. Surrender."

Stellovet looked annoyed. "Another? How many children does my accursed cousin have?"

Judith looked confused. "Cousin?"

Stellovet rolled her eyes. "Oh dear, she is a slow one. Yes girl, my cousin. Luxa. The former queen."

All of a sudden, many things fell into place in Rylan's mind. "They did not tell you!" he gasped.

"What?" Judith looked pitifully at him. "Tell me what?"

"Oh, this is too good!" exclaimed Stellovet with glee. "Girl, your mother is the rightful queen. Your father is the Warrior of the prophecies. And you, as their child, are a princess and in line for the throne."

Judith's mouth fell open but no sound came out.

"Enough, Stellovet!" Rylan said angrily.

She turned her gaze to him, arching an eyebrow. "Well, well. My spy. Thrown your lot in with the rebels, have you? Shame."

His response was a long, high-pitched whistle. Artemis swept in through the roof and hovered next to the balcony. The four teens quickly climbed on and Artemis deposited them on the floor. Judith immediately ran toward her siblings and Kent followed, pulling out his emergency medical kit as he went. Rylan and Lyson faced Stellovet, swords drawn.

The gnawer, who had remained silent up until now, stepped forward. "Permission to finish them off, Your Majesty?"

Stellovet looked at them with a calculating stare. "Yes Gushgore, I believe so. Treacherous nephews are not good for a kingdom."

The gnawer lunged, but Lyson was too quick for him. The fight was brief, and the gnawer soon lay on the floor, a sword through his heart.

Confusion crossed Stellovet's face as Hero arose from her position next to her twin and began walking towards the Queen, drawing her sword as she went.

"Stellovet, I don't care if you're related to me. You have caused my family so much suffering. Today, I end your reign of terror." With that, she leaped into action, fighting as one possessed.

Stellovet could barely keep up with the onslaught, playing entirely defense.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rylan noticed Judith stagger to her feet, covered in her brother's blood. She picked her way around the outskirts of the room until she was behind Stellovet, and then drew her sword.

Hero continued to push Stellovet farther back, forcing her to retreat, step by step.

_So that is what a Rager is like,_ Rylan thought, awed by the fighting abilities that this ten year old possessed.

The Queen was getting dangerously close to Judith now, but she still just stood there, sword in hand.

With a terrific clang, Hero locked swords with the Queen, holding her at a standstill.

The Queen looked over Hero's shoulder, towards Rylan. "Help me, boys!"

Rylan looked at Lyson. Lyson looked at him. A silent agreement was made. Rylan stepped forward.

"Aunty Stell, you are a liar and a murderer. Once I may have helped you, but not now. Not after…well, everything. Goodbye, aunty."

That was Judith's cue. Striding forward, she pierced Stellovet in the back, and then withdrew her sword.

Stellovet's sword fell to the ground with a crash. She started to fall forward, but Hero caught her, lowering her to the floor face-up. Looking right into the Queen's eyes, she choked out:

"My name is Hero. I was named after my mom's cousin, who you had killed. Today, I avenge her." She paused, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "My-my twin brother's name is Truce. I now avenge him as well. Go now, Stellovet. Go to whatever awaits such evil as you in the beyond." With that she stabbed the Queen.

Stellovet made a strangled sound as she gazed up into Hero's eyes. "I…" she started but trailed off, and whatever spark of life she had went out. The Queen was dead.

* * *

><p>Judith was in turmoil. She looked at the Queen, lying dead on the floor in a pool of her own blood. She looked at her brother, now grown cold. Without a sound, she sunk to the ground, curling into a ball. A moment later, she heard footsteps approaching.<p>

"Judith?" Rylan's voice was hesitant.

"G-go away," she choked out, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Judith. We have won. The queen is dead. The attack needs to be stopped."

Judith sat up. "Go stop it then."

Rylan shook his head. "They will not listen to me. I was Stellovet's heir. But you…"

Judith hardened herself. Rylan was right. She was the one who had to go. She wiped her nose on her sleeve. "All right."

"Take Apollo," Kent jumped in.

"Apollo?" Judith looked around and saw that Apollo, as well as Lyson's bond had arrived.

"Please, Princess. We must hurry." Apollo's tone was urgent.

Judith frowned. Princess? Then she remembered. Princess. That was her. "Fine. Let's go." She took Rylan's outstretched hand, and he helped her up. They walked over to Apollo, and he gave her a boost up. She could have done it herself, but right now she was taking all the help she could get.

"Be safe."

Judith looked down, surprised. "What do you care?"

Rylan shrugged, but his face was turning red.

Judith would have liked to say more, but in a flurry of wings, Apollo took off. He circled the room once, and then shot through the hole in the ceiling, into the outside world.

Once outside, Apollo hovered. "Where do we go, Princess?"

Judith thought for a moment. "The east wall."

They flew over the city so fast that Judith's hair blew out of its braid. Soon they could hear the sounds of the battle. "Get above them," Judith instructed. "I'll try to spot my parents."

Apollo did as she asked. Judith leaned over his side and started clicking, looking for a sign of her parents in the chaos below. It didn't take long. "There."

Apollo dived, dropping her right by where her father was fighting, spinning in a classic Rager attack. Judith drew her own sword. "Dad!"

Gregor slowed, but did not stop.

Judith jumped forward, bracing herself. She held up her sword, placed her feet, and met her Dad's blow as he came around. CLANG! Judith's sword was wrenched from her grip and went spinning off into the darkness, but at least she had her Dad's attention.

"Judith?" his expression was one of befuddlement as he took in her unruly hair, her bloodstained clothes, her tear-streaked face, and her presence on the battlefield. "What—"

"No time!" she yelled. "You have to call off the attack. Stellovet is dead!"

The confusion turned to amazement. "Really? Are you sure?"

Judith nodded.

Looking upward, Gregor called, "Achilles!" The flier swooped down and picked him up, carrying him over the battle.

A minute later, the call reached Judith. "Cease and desist! Stellovet is dead!" As the message spread, the battle ground to a halt.

Judith looked around. Good. They had stopped fighting. All of a sudden, it all became too much for her. _"We've won."_ She thought. And then, she knew no more.

* * *

><p><strong>Heartbroken? Me too. Well, there's only one more chapter and an epilogue after this. I did once think of doing a one-shot from Boot's POV for this series, but I'll leave that up to you guys. Just say yes or no in the comments.<strong>

Oh, and one other thing. I'm thinking of changing my pen name to Katniss Daywalker and I'd like your opinion. I've set up a poll on my profile. If you could pretty please vote, that'd be great.

**Thank you so much for reading. I will be doing a shoutout at the very end to everyone who reviewed more than once, so this is one of your last chances to make it in. Queen out.**


	15. Chapter 15

**College. And two jobs. And robotics team. And swim team. And band. Those are my excuses. Here is chapter 15. This is the last full chapter. After this is just an epilogue. Last chance to be acknowledged as a reviewer! Remember, I will give a shout out to all those who reviewed at least twice. Thank you all. I own everything you don't recognize. **

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><p>Howard, his wife Centella, and Chim were the first ones to find them.<p>

Rylan looked up as they ran in; saw their expressions as they viewed the carnage.

Though he was crying, Kent was still working fruitlessly to somehow save Truce, although it was obvious that he was dead. The blood loss had been too great. Hero was curled into a ball next to her lifeless brother, sobbing as well.

Lyson had left on his bond, going to see if Judith had succeeded.

Centella was the first to speak. "What…what happened?"

Howard seemed to snap out of his shock, and he hurried over to his son.

Chim walked timidly over to where Stellovet lay, and poked her with her foot. She looked up at Rylan, wonder in her eyes. "She is dead."

Centella sank to the floor. "Rylan, what happened?"

Rylan took a deep breath. Haltingly, he relayed what had come to pass in the last hour. The flight to the city. Warning Lyson and Kent. Trying to find the twins.

"…And then, Stellovet killed Truce. Lyson killed the gnawer. Hero attacked Stellovet, and together she and Judith finished her off." The tears that he had been trying to hold back were starting to escape now, running in rivulets down his face.

Centella gathered Rylan in a hug. "Shhhh. It is alright. You are alright."

Howard had remained silent during the whole dialogue, but now spoke. "Where is Judith?"

Kent answered him, in a hollow voice. "She went to stop the attack. Lyson left a little bit ago to see if she succeeded."

Hero had cried herself out and was now shivering on the ground. Howard hurried over and quickly examined her. "She is in shock." He scooped her up. "Come along, boys." He stopped and looked back at the body of Stellovet, his sister. "Chim, will you say here and keep an eye on the bodies?"

Chim nodded.

"Come along." Howard left, carrying Hero as if she weighed nothing.

Centella helped Rylan to his feet. She led him over to Kent, where she did the same, and then grabbed their shoulders, guiding them out of the throne room and after Howard.

The halls were quiet, at least until they got to the hospital floor.

"What is going on?" asked Rylan as they were forced to a halt by a flood of people.

One of the people, a woman with blood on her arm, heard him. "The battle is over. Stellovet is dead! The wounded are here to be treated."

Howard frowned. "We had better get in there." He began trying to get through the crowd.

Rylan started to follow, but heard a shout. He turned to see a stretcher being borne down the hall. And on the stretcher—"Judith!" he yelled, running over to her. She was unconscious, but didn't appear to have any serious injury. He helped the people get her into the hospital, where she was deposited onto a bed. Howard had followed, and set Hero in the bed next to her.

"Kent, can you keep an eye on Hero?"

Kent nodded, and Howard hurried off to help more wounded.

Rylan stood by Judith's bedside, watching over her.

"Pull up a chair," Kent advised. "You look tired."

Rylan did so. He remembered watching the people rush past, a few covered in blood, some not even conscious. The next thing he knew, Judith was talking to him.

"Wake up, Rylan. We have to go."

Rylan jerked upright. "Wha-Judith! Are you alright?"

She smiled at him, though it seemed a little strained. "I'm fine. But right now, we have to go."

"Go where?"

Hero answered him. "A big meeting has been decreed. All the most important people are supposed to go to it. And because we killed Stellovet that includes us."

Rylan got to his feet. Judith did as well. Together, they helped Hero out of bed.

Kent hurried in. "Good, you are all up. Come on, the meeting is about to start."

Slowly, the four kids made their way to the council room, where the meeting was being held. They found Lyson, who was saving them seats.

Rylan took his place, and then looked around. He saw many people he knew, both from Regalia and the Jungle group.

A bell rang, signaling that the meeting was about to begin. The main doors closed. A woman that he recognized as the head of the Regalian army stood up.

"Greetings. I am she called Perdita. This meeting has been called to discuss and clarify both recent and past events."

Before she could continue, the smaller door opened. In came Luxa, Gregor, and Ripred.

"Sorry we're late," Ripred said.

From somewhere near the front, someone screamed. "LUXA!"

The whole room started buzzing.

Luxa held up a hand. "Quiet, please. Yes, it is I. Luxa, the true Queen of Regalia."

Someone started clapping, and soon the whole room, both Regalians and Rebels, were applauding their Queen.

Perdita stepped forward. "Your Highness, as you can see, we are all glad that you are not dead. But please, where have you been all this time?"

Luxa paused, and Gregor stepped forward. "It's a long story. It all started twenty years ago, a few months before Stellovet took over…"

Together, Gregor and Luxa told their tale, starting with Gregor and his sister being kidnapped from the Overland, and ending with the attack on the city. The telling took the better part of two hours but no one interrupted. When, at last, they had finished, the whole room was silent.

A man stood up. "But what about Stellovet?" he asked. "Who killed my wife?"

Angry muttering went through the room, for the man was King Chase, Rylan's uncle.

Hero jumped to her feet, and then climbed onto her chair. "I did!"

A few people laughed, but they stopped when Luxa spoke. "Hero? What are you doing here?"

"I killed Stellovet, Mom."

Kent stood up. "She did, Queen Luxa. I saw her do it."

Perdita beckoned them down. "Come here, and tell your tale."

Hero, with Judith, Kent, Rylan, and Lyson accompanying her, made her way down to the main floor.

"Rylan!" Gregor was stunned. "How—what—?"

Judith jumped in. "Me. I let him free."

Gregor frowned. "Judith—"

"Let me explain," she insisted. Facing her parents rather then the crowd assembled, she told her story. Hero, Rylan, and Kent interjected from time to time, picking up when Judith became overwhelmed. Lyson remained silent throughout the story, but provided moral support.

When Judith at last reached the part about Truce being captured by the Queen, Luxa turned white. "No," she gasped. "Tell me, he's not—"

Judith seemed to brace herself. "Mom. Truce is dead."

Gregor burst into tears. Luxa bit her lip. When she spoke, she seemed barely able to contain the sadness that she felt. "G-go on."

"I killed her, Mom. I avenged both my namesake and my brother, and anyone else she has ever hurt. It's over." Hero looked as if she was barely keeping it together herself.

Perdita seemed to recognize that the meeting needed to be put on hold. "Queen Luxa, we welcome your return. Are there any objections to reinstating Luxa as our Queen?"

Only one person raised her hand.

"Your Majesty?" asked Perdita, confused. "You do not wish to be Queen?"

"Please, Perdita, can we resume the meeting later? I-I need some time with my family."

Perdita nodded. "Very well." She turned to the crowd. "This meeting will continue at a later time. You are dismissed."

As everyone began to leave, Luxa finally broke down, sobbing into Gregor's shoulder.

Howard and Centella came over.

"Luxa," Howard said, seemingly in disbelief. "Gregor."

Centella sensibly suggested that they go somewhere more private, and Gregor agreed. She started herding everyone into a small chamber off the council room.

Rylan hung back, unsure of whether he was welcome. He wasn't really related to these people, after all. But Judith grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

"Come on, Rylan. I need you in here."

That was enough to convince him. Together, they went in.

* * *

><p>Once they had entered the small room, Judith released Rylan's hand. There were few chairs in here, but instead were plenty of oversized cushions. Gregor, still holding Luxa, sank down onto one.<p>

Judith did not sit. She was furious. "How could you?" she shouted at her parents.

Her mother looked up at her, tears covering her face. "What?"

Judith kicked at a pillow angrily. "Stellovet was your cousin? You are the real queen? I'm a Princess?"

Luxa burst into a fresh round of tears. "I'm sorry, Judith. We were going to tell you, but we thought that you shouldn't have to have that kind of a burden. Both I and your father were forced to grow up too fast. We wanted you to have more of a childhood."

Before Judith could reply, the curtain that served as a door was pushed aside. Her uncle Hazard came in, followed by a lady who looked a lot like Stellovet.

"Lizzie, Nerissa, and the little ones will be here soon." Hazard looked around, taking in the drama.

"Hazard!" Howard jumped up. "It is so good to see you!"

"Okay, wait. How are we all related?" Hero looked confused.

Howard smiled at her. "I am the eldest of five. After me there was Stellovet, the twins, Kent and your namesake, Hero, and Chim."

The woman who had come in with Hazard gave a small wave.

"I am married to Centella," Howard continued. "Lyson and Kent are my sons. Your mother is my cousin, as is Hazard."

Judith was getting a headache. "But…Hazard is our uncle."

Howard looked at Hazard. Hazard shrugged. "I married Lizzie."

"Really? Congratulations!" Howard said.

Gregor had managed to pull himself together a little now. "And I married Luxa."

"Hang on…" Kent looked puzzled. "Judith is my second cousin?"

"Yes. I guess she is," Centella said.

"Well, now that we have that worked out, we can get to the important matters." Hazard looked at Luxa. "First. Luxa, I hear that you do not want to take the throne. Why?"

Luxa wiped her eyes. "I do not believe I have what it takes anymore."

"Okaaaay. Then who do you want to rule in your place?"

Luxa looked up, right at Judith. "Judith."

"What?! Me?" Judith was shocked. "I can't rule Regalia!"

"Why not?" Luxa asked. "You are perfect for the job. I could act as your regent until you are old enough, but I would not be Queen. Your father and I could stay here with you until you are of age, and then we would go back to the jungle. What do you say?"

Judith thought about it, biting her lip as she did so.

Rylan stood and came over to her. "Judith."

She looked up at him.

"You would make a really good Queen. I should know. I have spent years learning skills that the future ruler has to have, skills that you have developed naturally. You are a born ruler, Judith."

"Really?"

"Really."

She thought about that. At last, she reached a decision. "Alright. I'll do it."

Her mother managed a teary smile. "That's my girl."

The curtain was pushed aside once more and Perdita stuck her head in. "Your Majesty? Have you reached a decision?"

Judith looked around at her family. They had all been through so much. She herself had been through a lot too. She smiled. "Yes, Perdita. I have."

* * *

><p><strong>I can't believe this is almost over. It's been part of my life for so long. In the meantime, I've posted a lot of other stories in various fandoms. You should go check them out. Until next time. -Queen<strong>


	16. Epilogue

**In March of 2011, I published my first fanfiction. It was 13 chapters, not even breaking 10,000 words. I was so darn proud of it. To my pleasant surprise, it drew reviews. Even now, it will still sometimes get a random review. The sequel to that fic was this one. And now, almost three years later, it is finished. And so I will say it one last time. I own nothing that you recognize from the series. Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Epilogue<p>

Rylan stood up in the royal balcony with the rest of Judith's family, watching the ceremony. Judith looked lovely as she knelt before Chase, the ex-king, to be crowned the official Queen of Regalia. She wouldn't actually be ruling for another two years, but she got to have the title now.

The last week had been very busy.

Truce had been given a funeral, and more tears had been shed.

Stellovet had also been given a funeral, but Chase was the only one who had cried there.

Chase. There had been a trial for him, but in the end the judge let him go, saying that he had just been a pawn in Stellovet's schemes, providing some brawn to back up her brains.

For the most part, everyone had readily accepted Judith as their Queen. Oh, there had been a group who wanted Luxa back on the throne, and even a few people who wanted Rylan to take over, seeing as how he had been Stellovet's heir.

Nerissa, Lizzie, and the two little ones had arrived in the city. The excitement had been too much for Lizzie however, sending her into labor a few weeks early. The baby was delivered without too much trouble though, a girl that they named Margaret, after Lizzie's grandmother.

Rylan glanced over at Lizzie now. She was holding baby Margaret in her arms, a huge smile on her face as she watched her niece become queen.

Chase was finishing up his speech. "…Will be a great ruler, and keep our city safe. I place this crown upon her head." With great ceremony, he did so. Judith straightened up.

"People of Regalia, I give you your Queen. Long live Judith!"

The cry was taken up by the crowd in the arena below, everyone cheering for their new Queen.

Rylan cheered as well. He knew Judith would be an excellent ruler.

After the ceremony there was a formal banquet, and then dancing. It wasn't until late in the evening that he was finally able to talk to Judith.

"Pardon me, your Highness. May you do me the honor of granting me a dance?"

Judith laughed. "Sure, Rylan."

He led her out onto the floor, and they began to dance. They were silent for a minute, getting used to the rhythm of the song.

"I do not believe I ever thanked you properly," Rylan said at last.

"What for?"

"Believing in me, even when no one else did."

Judith shrugged. "You are welcome. By the way…" She paused as he spun her around, and then resumed her sentence. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?"

Judith bit her lip. "Well, you may have noticed, but I'm kind of behind when it comes to some stuff. Underland history, types of communication, city customs."

"So?"

"So I'd like you to help teach me that stuff."

The dance came to an end, but she didn't let go of his elbow.

"Judith, why me?"

"Because. You're my best friend."

Rylan blinked. "I am?"

Judith smiled. "Yup. So, what do you say?"

Rylan swept into a mock bow. "Whatever my Queen wishes is my command." He straightened up, grinning at her. "Or, in other words, of course, Judy."

Her face glowed. "Thanks." She turned as if to leave, but hesitated.

Before Rylan could react, she turned and planted a kiss on his cheek, and then backed away, blushing.

"Good night, Rylan." She fled, disappearing down the hallway.

Rylan stood there for a moment, his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him. Slowly, a smile crept onto his face. He was an orphan. The only family he had was a semi-disgraced uncle. He wasn't even quite sure where he was going to live now. But at that second, none of that mattered. Somehow, he knew everything was going to be okay. In more ways than one.

* * *

><p>Judith had butterflies in her stomach, and it wasn't just from all the flying.<p>

"You ready?" Hero asked.

Judith nodded.

Hovering above them, Lizzie passed baby Margaret through the hole to Hazard, and then followed herself. It was Judith's turn. Echo flew as close to the opening as she could, and Judith quickly scrambled through it, into a strange room.

"What is this place?" she muttered.

Lizzie smiled. "Welcome to the Overland, Judith."

Once everyone had come through the hole, (Gregor, Luxa, Hero, Henry, Hazard, Lizzie, Hamnet, baby Margaret, and of course, Judith) Gregor led them over to a door. He opened it slowly, looking around, and then gestured for the rest of the group to follow him. They went through a large room with a bunch of weird shiny clear things making up one wall, and then up some stairs. And then more stairs. At last, they went down a hall with lots of doors. About halfway, Gregor stopped. He looked nervous.

"This is it."

"Well?" said Lizzie, "What are you waiting for? Knock!"

Gregor did so.

A minute passed, and then the door opened. An older woman stood there. "Yes?" She did a double take and her mouth fell open. "G-Gregor?"

Lizzie stepped forward. "Hi, mom. Sorry it's been so long. Can we come in?"

Ten minutes later they were all in the living room, some sitting, some standing. The older woman, who had introduced herself as Grandma to the kids, was bustling about, hugging random people. An old man had showed up too, and was crying as he embraced Gregor and Lizzie.

'Grandma' left for a minute and then came back. "I just called your sisters. They'll be here in a little bit."

"Wait," said Gregor, "Did you say _sisters_? As in plural? As in more than one?"

"Yes. Your sister Boots and your sister Emily."

"I think we've got some catching up to do."

The next hour was full of storytelling. Gregor and Lizzie told of their kidnapping again, and then briefly about what had happened since then. All of the kids were introduced, and got hugged by their Grandparents.

Two women showed up about halfway through, introducing themselves as Margaret ("But everyone calls me Boots,") and Emily. There was more hugging, and more storytelling.

One by one, the kids started to fall asleep, and Judith realized why they had come at night.

Eventually, Emily came over and sat by her. "So you're Judith, huh?"

"Queen Judith, actually."

Emily nodded. "Cool. So, about the Underland…"

"What?" Judith asked.

"Is it… is it as awesome as it is in Boot's stories?"

Judith shrugged. "I dunno. How awesome is it in the stories?"

Emily's eyes gleamed. "So awesome that I even tried to go down there once. Mom caught me, but still. It's pretty much my dream to go there someday."

Judith thought about that. After a while, she spoke. "No. It's not as awesome."

Emily's face fell. "Really?"

Judith turned to look at her. "Nope. In fact, it's even better."

Emily smiled, and Judith did too. It was good to be reunited at last.

* * *

><p><strong>Fin. And now, a few things to wrap this up. First, the people who reviewed twice or more.<strong>

**A very special thank you to-**

John Earl

QueenCobraWing

Randominator

Jedi1

TeamPeeta

FlyYouHigh

DarkWinxGirl

UCFan

**And several guest reviews. No idea if they were the same person or different ones, but thank you nonetheless. You guys have been fantastic.**

**Second, though I mentioned a possibility of doing something about what Boots was doing during this time frame, I am not sure that will happen. If so, it will be a oneshot. If you would like to be told about it if it ever does get written, **tell me in your review. **I will PM you if I ever write and post it. **

**Third, this isn't the last of my writing. I have a Gregor crossover with Percy Jackson that is currently being written, multiple PJ oneshots and stories, a couple How To Train Your Dragon oneshots, and many others. Between my 13 stories posted, they cover 8 different fandoms. Check out my profile for details.**

**Once again, a huge thank you to all who have stuck with this story through thick and thin. Farewell, my readers.**

**-Queen**


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